Kyle Johnson has proven once again that he isn’t your average quarterback.
The bruising Bangor senior co-captain started his high school career at running back for the Rams, before moving behind center. That move has paid off for Bangor football as it heads to the Class A semifinal Friday night returning champion Portland.
Johnson helped lead the Rams to a comfortable 35-6 quarterfinal win over Oxford Hills on Friday night, and he didn’t waste any time doing so.
On the very first play of the game, Johnson unleashed a long touchdown run of over 70 yards.
“It energized everybody — from the crowd, to the coaches, to our bench, to our players on the field, our defense,” Bangor coach David Morris said about that pivotal first play. “It was a dynamite blast, to be honest with you.”
That’s the kind of energy and leadership that Bangor has come to expect from Johnson, who is all over the field for the Rams as a linebacker and punter as well.
“It’s no dark secret that he’s central to a lot of the things we do,” Morris said.
“Kyle is obviously a talented kid, and he’s a great leader. For us, he’s a difference maker.”
The same is true on the baseball field, where Morris also coaches Johnson.
Morris said Johnson and his teammates feed off each other, making the whole team better in the process.
That long touchdown run to start off a dominant performance against Oxford Hills is just one example.
“It was a great run by him,” said Morris, who quickly credited the team blocking as well. “It was also just our offensive line. It was great blocks up front, from our line to our backs.”
That blocking from the offensive line and other players let Johnson use a level of breakaway speed that is uncommon for a player his size at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds.
“A lot of guys his size can break some big runs, but they can’t finish it,” Morris added.
That combination of team effort and individual ability gave Bangor just the start it needed as they flipped the script on Oxford Hills Friday night. The Vikings had beat the Rams handily the week before 34-7.
Morris said the key to that dramatic turnaround was the effort and preparation his team put into practice last week.
“You really can’t underestimate the amount of energy and enthusiasm that they brought,” he said about his Rams players.
Bangor will look to bring that same approach to Friday night’s semifinal against Portland. Morris expects it to be a showdown between two of the state’s best players in Johnson and Portland standout Cordell Jones. The reigning Maine Gatorade Player of the Year Jones switched from wide receiver and running back to play quarterback for the Bulldogs this season.
Portland beat Bangor 42-26 when the teams met during the regular season in late September.
Morris called the playoffs a “new season” and said there’s something special about high school athletics when the season is on the line.
“It’s a great challenge for us,” Morris said about this week’s matchup. “I think it’s gonna be a great challenge for them as well.”