Prep football: Johnson blasts Florin in Greater Sacramento League to celebrate homecoming

The Hiram Johnson High School stands looked like a movie scene, filled by students, families and alumni holding glow sticks to illuminate the balloon-covered bleachers.

The band was rocking on Friday night, creating an infectious energy for hundreds of spectators who filled the Warriors’ newly-opened, state-of-the-art football stadium on homecoming and senior night, making the 14th Avenue venue one of the crown jewels in the Sacramento Unified School District.

The stadium lights flickered every time Johnson scored a touchdown in a 47-0 victory over Florin. The Warriors are second in the Greater Sacramento League behind Foothill with a 3-1 league record with a week to play.

Seniors led the way for the Warriors. Kirk Brown III scored two touchdowns — one rushing and one receiving — and also came up with an interception.

This was an emotional game for Brown as his high school playing days are drawing to a close.

“It’s a beautiful feeling,” Brown said. “I love playing in front of people. My family came out to see me. I love it. It’s emotional, makes me want to tear up a bit. ... I love my coaches. I love my players. I don’t want to leave them. I wish I could reclassify, but I have to go out into the real world.”

Before this season, Kamarea Smith wasn’t even playing football. He threw three touchdown passes on his senior night, connecting with Brown, fellow senior James Hunter and junior Adrian Peterson Jr.

Johnson head coach Will Buck was proud of the way his team played.

“They have come out, executed and shown pride right here on their home field,” Buck said.

Senior running back Matthew Brooks scored three touchdowns on the ground in the first quarter. Despite the win, Brooks wasn’t entirely pleased with how his team executed.

“We should have done better,” he said. “For us to come out here and have all these penalties, I don’t like it. Yeah, we did get the win, but we should have played a better game.”

Alumni gathering

Duane Tadlock proudly wore his letterman jacket from Hiram Johnson during the school’s 65th homecoming. The school invites alums to visit their old campus, which opened in 1958.

Tadlock, back in his heyday, was a member of the varsity tennis team, marching band and pep band. He recalled what the stadium’s design looked like when the idea was first implemented in 1983, subsequently the same year he graduated from Johnson.

“The bowl was here and I graduated on the 25th anniversary of the school,” he said. “When it was built, it was supposed to have a stadium and it never did. So it took another 40 years. It’s been 65 years since they built the school to actually get the stadium.”

He still lives in the neighborhood and has seen the changes step-by-step. He commended the school for its improvements.

“It’s crazy. They’ve done a lot for the school. They did a phenomenal job,” Tadlock said.

The new venue includes a Warrior’s arrow along with large black and red lettering that reads “HJ Home of the Warriors”. It contains a brand new press box, new bleacher stands and concessions. The school implemented four large LED lights that also have the ability to change colors throughout the evening as stadium lights flickered whenever Johnson reached the end zone.

The turf is brand new and two-toned.

Members of Johnson’s graduating class of 2003 celebrated their 20th anniversary. Most had not stepped foot on campus since the day they graduated. They admired the upgrades.

Jose Tostado recalled how far the school has come in the past two decades.

“We were playing on grass fields, sometimes dirt,” Tostado said of his memories of the football fields. “Sometimes there were potholes, sometimes gravel.”

Many former graduates, like Tostado, were happy to see the upgrades made for the new generation of Warriors.

“It’s a beautiful sight to see all the people here,” said Lisa Collins Christmas.

Collins Christmas and other friends from the class of ‘03 all gathered and were happy to see each other but they were especially excited to see the school’s college readiness counselor who everyone knows affectionately as “Ms. Brown.”

Brown has been in her role on the campus since 1997. She said she’s seen “a lot” throughout her years and seeing former students return for homecoming made it “an eventful night, a touching night.”

A change in atmosphere

Johnson’s athletic director Nathan Oltmanns is in his ninth year on campus, where he also teaches physical education. He said the stadium has changed the energy for the kids and the overall environment at the school.

“The atmosphere, the floats, the homecoming, the alumni that showed up to support, we couldn’t have done this three or four years ago,” Oltmanns said. “Just to have these facilities and give these children, the student athletes, the students, everybody an opportunity just to enjoy Friday night lights.”

Oltmanns said the new stadium took nearly five years to be fully complete.

“We got the turf first, and then the track. Then three or four years later, we got the bleachers, the stadium and the lights,” he said. “It’s crazy what the kids have…they love it. You know, it’s a place for them to come to the snack bar, hang out, play, run up and down, hang out with their friends. I mean, you can see it. It’s just, it’s a cool place to chill on Friday night.”

Principal Garrett Kirkland is in his seventh year at Johnson and said the overall experience is “amazing” for everyone involved who have been waiting for an opportunity to be on campus and have a homecoming game.

“To see it come together this way for the seniors and for all the classes with their homecoming floats, a lot of people didn’t think it was going to happen. Now, it’s happening really well tonight,” Kirkland said. “They see the alumni come out tonight and there’s a really good vibe on what this team is doing.”

Kirkland commended coach Buck, who is in his first year at Johnson.

“Coach Buck has done an amazing job growing the numbers and getting kids to commit to hard work and they persevered this year and it’s a pretty special thing to see that,” he said.

Buck is a man of faith. He said: “God will put you where you need to be, when you need to be there.”

He believes Johnson is where he needs to be. He praised his team for their character this season.

“Tremendous, tremendous young men,” Buck said. “Some real good kids and young men are going off into the world. And I’m just happy I was a part of that. I’m happy that I was able to steer this ship. For these seniors, a great, great class of men. They’re going to be great citizens for us. I’m proud of them.”

Buck added: “Football doesn’t need too many people, but some people need football. These young men at Johnson have answered the call by being resilient.”

Johnson will play Cordova next week as the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs approach. Florin’s final game is against Valley in the Highway 99 Bowl. The Panthers are searching for their first win of the season.

This story was originally published October 20, 2023 at 11:52 PM.