When rosters were announced for the 52nd annual Orange County North-South All-Star Football game, San Clemente running back Terrell Johnson was almost an afterthought.

Johnson, who predominately played wide receiver during his Tritons career, initially found himself overshadowed in a South backfield that featured burners Jalen Craver (Woodbridge) and Dallas Kessman (Mission Viejo). However, neither Craver nor Kessman could  participate due to injuries. North running back Josh Webb (Garden Grove), the CIF Southern Section Player of the Year, scored 42 touchdowns last fall while providing highlight-reel plays on a weekly basis and was widely considered the game's greatest offensive weapon. 

Despite his under-the-radar status as a playmaker, Johnson stole the show in a 23-22 South victory Friday night in front of a packed LeBard Stadium at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound workhorse carried the South, scoring twice and slicing through a stout North defense for 143 yards on the ground. 

His 26 carries were nearly half of the 55 handoffs he received during his entire senior season at San Clemente, when he caught 41 passes and amassed 12 total touchdowns. Johnson’s effort earned him Offensive Player of the Game honors in a contest that featured many of California’s top graduated seniors and future college football stars. 

Quarterback Adam Young (Santa Margarita Catholic) teamed up with Johnson to help the South build an early 17-0 lead. Young used play-action to set the stage for a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kellon Truxton (Newport Harbor) in the opening half.

The North quickly answered with consecutive unanswered scores to close out the first half and open the third quarter. Quarterback Anthony Martinez (Fullerton) ended the shutout by plunging into the end zone from a yard out, while running back Nick Richardson (Los Alamitos) trimmed the North’s deficit to 17-14 with a six-yard burst. 

The ensuing South possession ended abruptly, when Young scrambled away from pressure and launched an ill-advised throw toward the center of the field, where North defensive back Kapena Olsen (Villa Park) plucked the pass out of the air and dashed down the sidelines for a 30-yard touchdown. The North followed the pick-six with a successful two-point conversion for a 22-17 lead, its first of the contest.

Johnson answered for the South when he capped off a lengthy fourth quarter drive with a one-yard touchdown sprint on a quick pitch to the left outside edge of his offensive line. Despite a botched two-point conversion that followed, Johnson’s second score of the contest proved to be a game-winner. 

The North had a final chance to grab the lead with time winding down. All-State kicker Connor Loftus (Servite) lined up for a 29-yard field goal attempt but his kick was immediately stopped in its tracks when a lunging Trent Mason (Dana Hills) got his hand on the ball for a victory-preserving block with 2 minutes 24 seconds left. 

Mason’s timely play made him the Defensive Player of the Game and gave the South squad its third consecutive victory in the All-Star game, which was presented by the Brea Lions Club. Overall, the North hold a slim edge with a 25-24-3 record.