MISSION VIEJO – Johnny Stanton has been on top of the mountain.
As a junior at Santa Margarita, he led the Eagles to CIF-SS Pac-5 Division and CIF State Division 1 championships in 2011.
The following season, with a scholarship offer from Nebraska in hand, Stanton had the Eagles off to a 5-0 start, but a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee ended his high school career.
Nebraska’s coaches stood by him after the injury, saying they still wanted him to be part of their program.
In his first two years in Lincoln, he made the honor roll and the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for contributions made to the community. He saw action in two games and completed one pass.
While he enjoyed the thrill of playing in front of 92,000 fans at Memorial Stadium, he left Nebraska earlier this year after a new coaching staff arrived and informed him they didn’t see him as starter material.
Nebraska’s loss, however, has been a huge gain for the Saddleback College football program.
Stanton is back in Orange County and looking for a new start with the Gauchos, who open the season playing host to Cerritos on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Stanton has already won more games at Saddleback Stadium than anyone else on the field.
Stanton went 10-0 for Santa Margarita, which plays its home games at Saddleback.
“I see this as a second chance and trying to get recruited,” Stanton said. “Having not played in three years, I am anxious to get back out on the field and earn a shot back at the Division 1 level.
“My first job, though, is to win the quarterback job here. We have great athletes at every position.”
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Stanton is known for having a strong throwing arm and exceptional running ability. But he considers himself a passer first; he’ll use his speed only when it’s needed.
“I don’t like the phrase ‘dual threat’ because I think it implies to many that your arm isn’t strong enough, so you have to run and that’s not the case,” Stanton said. “I am a pocket passer, but am able to pick up yards on the ground when the situation presents itself.”
Marcus Meredith has been friends with Stanton since they were in the eighth grade. They started off as Pop Warner teammates, and became opponents when Stanton and Santa Margarita beat Meredith and San Clemente, 27-13, in the 2011 CIF-SS title game at Angel Stadium.
Meredith, a safety, also is playing for Saddleback this season after trying to make it as a walk-on at Oregon.
“Johnny was a stud in the title game against us,” Meredith recalled. “He was a one-man show, and he’s got a great work ethic, character, intellect and a strong arm that will really help our team this year.”
Stanton’s lack of full-time snaps since his senior year at Santa Margarita isn’t a major concern for Saddleback’s coaches.
He comes from a family of athletes. His mother, Lori, played college softball. His father, John, and uncle Pat both swam for Long Beach State.
Stanton is confident Saddleback will do better than the 5-5 record it had a year ago. The Gauchos’ offense is loaded with weapons: a stacked core of running backs, wide receiver Dominic Collins (El Toro), and slot receivers Nate Rodgers and Zack Davis.
His buddy, Meredith, will anchor the defense.
“We’re going to be a fast-paced, pass-heavy offense and should be fun to watch,” Stanton said. “We won’t win the time of possession battle, because we’ll be moving the ball quickly like the Oregon offense.”
Stanton has already made a strong impression on his teammates and coaches.
“I didn’t know Johnny at all until he showed up here,” said Gauchos coach Mark McElroy, going into his 17th season. “I’ve gotten the chance to get to know him, and he is a very committed, hard-working, humble and athletic football player.
“He has a big advantage from coming back from a D1 school. He’s already been where others want to play. He’s a physical quarterback like (Tim) Tebow, but can throw the ball down the field.”
Stanton’s knows he has a lot of work ahead of him. Last season, the Gauchos missed the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
“I’ve been back to100 percent for about two years now, and my team goals are to win a conference and state championship,” Stanton said. “I’m going to do everything I can to be a part of a championship team. I have a lot of confidence in the talent we have here, and (I) hope to get another shot at a big college (to play for).”
