Leading the charge

Bryce Alderton

When Dartangan Johnson walks into LeBard Stadium wearing a Santa Ana

College uniform for Saturday night’s Mission Conference matchup with

host Orange Coast, he will be thinking about former teammates and

friends he met while starring at Newport Harbor High and the three

games he has already played there. He will probably talk to them

before the game during warmups and exchange a smile or two.

But that is where the pleasantries end. Once the whistle blows for

the 6 p.m. kickoff, Newport Harbor’s career rushing leader has one

goal on his mind: winning.

“I know some of the Coast players and some are old friends,”

Johnson said. “I look at it like every other game. I am not going to

take it easy on them.”

Johnson, twice the Newport-Mesa Offensive Player of the Year as a

tailback who gained 3,397 yards on 560 carries as a Sailor, has

hardly let up for the Dons, who are off to their best start in 14

years at 4-0.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound back leads the conference in rushing,

having gained 660 yards on 139 carries through four games, nearly 5

yards a carry and good for a 165-yard average per game. He also leads

the conference in all-purpose running with 708 yards and has scored

six touchdowns.

“I have a great [offensive] line,” Johnson said when asked what

has led to his and the Dons’ early season success. “They open holes

and that makes me happy.”

He should be familiar with two players on the line since they went

to the same high school. Freshmen tackles A.J. Slater and Chris

Badorek earned first- and second-team team All-Sea View League

recognition, respectively, last season as tackles. They join a line

that provides running room for another Newport Harbor alum, 6-1,

255-pound fullback Travis Trimble, who is playing his sophomore

season after missing 2002 following knee surgery. Trimble played for

Coast two years ago.

Johnson has already set a Santa Ana record for most carries in a

game with 40 in a 16-13 win two weeks ago against Long Beach,

breaking Brandon Fischer’s mark of 37 set two years ago.

“I didn’t know I had that many carries,” Johnson said. “I guess it

is a good accomplishment, but I didn’t expect to do it.”

Johnson did know he would get the ball a lot this season. His

coaches made that clear early on.

“I wouldn’t mind Dartangan getting the ball every single play, but

he wouldn’t hold up,” Santa Ana head coach Geoff Jones said.

“[Community college football] is on a different level. He would get

smacked and we can’t have that happen.”

With quicker and stronger defenders, Johnson, who also holds the

Newport record with 18 games of at least 100 rushing yards, said the

yards are even tougher to come by than in high school.

“You have to work a lot harder,” he said. “Everyone that plays at

this level can hit. You have to deliver the blow instead of receiving

it.”

That aggressive running caught Jones’ eye.

“He finishes every single run,” Jones said. “He is clawing and

scratching, getting whatever he can. He has an unbelievable work

ethic and his attitude sets him apart.

“I think we knew exactly what we had. [The tailback] position

needed the most upgrading. He is one of he best guys we’ve had in a

long time.”

Heading into spring practice, Jones thought Johnson ran a certain

way, but was shown differently.

“We thought he was more of a slasher, but realized he is a power

back that can make you miss and he likes to run over people,” Jones

said.

Contrary to high school, when he started at cornerback, Johnson

can concentrate solely on running this fall.

“It makes it a lot easier,” Johnson said. “I don’t have to switch

back and forth between defensive and offensive modes. It is better to

do one thing.”

Jones compared Johnson to former Santa Ana tailback Estrus

Clayton, who holds school career records for rushing touchdowns (34),

all-purpose yards (4,062), touchdowns (42) and points (264).

“Clayton is considered the best tailback in Santa Ana history, but

he was kind of a slasher,” Jones said. “No one touched him and he

made you miss. Physically he looks like Dartangan.”

With the fast start, Johnson inches ever closer to Clayton’s

records. But he isn’t focused on individual accolades.

“I want to take the team as far as it can go and do my part to win

a championship,” Johnson said.

“We have better players this year,” Jones said when asked the

reason for the turnaround from the 2-8 campaign a year ago.

Johnson is one of those key ingredients.

“He has been a dream,” Jones said.