Anaheim Defeats Garden Grove, 35-0 : Johnston’s 2 Quick Touchdowns Get Colonists Off to Fast Start

Although Anaheim and Garden Grove high schools entered Saturday night’s game with 0-3 records, Anaheim had one major difference: quarterback Ernest Johnston.

Johnston kept the Garden Grove defense off balance by rushing and passing for 141 yards in the first half as Anaheim defeated Garden Grove, 35-0, in Glover Stadium at Anaheim.

Johnston alternated with Joaquin Garcia earlier in the season but was Anaheim’s sole quarterback Saturday until he was replaced early in the second half with the Colonists leading 35-0.

Anaheim took a commanding 28-0 first-half lead as Johnston scored a touchdown and passed for second.

On Anaheim’s opening possession, Johnston ran 15-yards on an option play to give the Colonists a 6-0 lead. Five minutes later, Johnston threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Garcia. On its ensuing possession, Anaheim wide receiver Steve Ybarra took an inside handoff and ran 15 yards to score.

The Anaheim defense finished the first-half scoring as linebacker Robert Ferrington caught a blocked punt in midair and ran 10 yards for a touchdown.

Johnston finished with 71 yards passing and 63 rushing. He also threw for two, two-point conversions and had nine tackles.

Garcia broke away on two runs of 55 and 52 yards and finished with 173 yards in 9 carries.

In other nonleague action:

Southern California Christian 7, Mammoth 6--Eric Norwood’s 37-yard touchdown with 2:20 remaining was the difference in a nonleague game at Mammoth. Mammoth had led, 6-0, going into the fourth quarter but Todd Luderman returned an interception 34 yards to set up the winning score for Southern California Christian (3-1).