Tough go for Sage Hill in opener

CERRITOS — A new football coach. Same opponent. But a different result this time for Sage Hill School.

The Lightning faced the same opponent it opened last season with and they couldn’t give their newbie coach the same outcome as last year’s first-year coach.

Sage Hill came to Fairmont Prep’s turf ready for its ultimate weapon Saturday night. Coach Derek McIntyre read all about Richard Johnson.

He just didn’t figure Johnson would excel at everything.

Johnson ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, caught five passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns, intercepted two passes, returned kicks, and even punted the ball to lead the Huskies to a 41-6 victory at Valley Christian High.

On a team with two dozen players, Johnson does it all. He probably would’ve worked the snack bar at halftime if Fairmont Prep had asked.

Johnson delivered a lot of sweet plays.

When Sage Hill struggled securing the ball, fumbling nine times, Johnson held onto to it and electrified the crowd all the way to the end zone four times.

“Any team in our division is going to be hard-pressed to match up against that kid,” said Fairmont Prep Coach Bobby Mendoza of his 6-foot-2, 185-pound star. “Anyway you can and almost in any situation [you have to get him the ball]. He’s a heck of a talent. He’s a real leader.

“What else can you say about this kid?”

That Johnson can score whenever he touches the ball.

He was around last year, when Sage Hill edged the Huskies, 30-26. The only edge in this rematch was Johnson. He found it with his speed, scoring twice in the second quarter to put Fairmont Prep ahead at 21-0 and on cruise control.

The first score was a delay. Not by his choosing. On a draw, Johnson hit the middle of the field and sped past a couple of arm tackles, treating them like falling mannequins.

Forty-three yards later, he was in the end zone staring at the banner reading “STOMP SAGE HILL.”

He definitely did.

“I think it’s a good eye-opener for our guys,” said McIntyre, who before taking over at Sage Hill for Pete Anderson was the athletic director at Justin-Siena in Napa.

Sage Hill gave McIntyre something to keep him up late — a headache.

The Lightning committed six turnovers, splitting them between the air and ground. Sage Hill’s spread attack never materialized.

The two sophomore quarterbacks, Randall Mycorn and Colton Gyulay, trying to take over for Jamie McGee, last year’s Newport-Mesa Dream Team Player of the Year, struggled with the snap.

That hurt an offense trying to run shotgun.

“We can’t get the snap,” McIntyre said. “Now the pressure is on them to get the ball.”

The Lightning were able recover most of the snaps. They just couldn’t recuperate when Johnson got his hands on the ball.

Two of Johnson’s dazzling scores came on passes from junior Kevin Wagner. One on a 35-yard screen in which he shifted past defenders and dove into the end zone in the second quarter.

The other was a 53-yard slant forcing him to split defenders to score late in the third.

With time expiring, he tried to take it to the house again. This time on an interception near midfield, but Sage Hill was able to tackle him deep in its territory.

“We kept pushing,” said Johnson, who is grabbing the attention of some Mountain West Conference college programs. “I really didn’t know how much time was left on the clock.”

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.