High School All-Star Football : Section Team’s Three Quarterbacks Differ in Size, Style and Experience

Vic Player, the football coach at Lincoln Prep, said he wanted the best available athletes to play quarterback for the San Diego Section all-star football team. He certainly came up with a diverse group.

When the San Diego Section plays Los Angeles Saturday night in the College Prep All-Star Football game, Player’s quarterbacks will be Freddie Stokes (Lincoln), Sean Gousha (Orange Glen) and Tim Johnson (Mountain Empire).

Stokes, who is 5-feet 9-inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, is a scrambler. He’s quick and expects to handle the running game. Stokes has the advantage of two years of experience running the Lincoln offense installed for this game by Player.

Gousha (6-3, 175) isn’t fast. Player says he’s a prototype quarterback, with the ability to quickly set up, read the defense and throw.

Johnson (6-4, 190) is untested. That’s strange for an all-star, but Johnson’s potential outweighs his experience. Playing for tiny Mountain Empire High in Pine Valley, an hour east of San Diego, Johnson saw only Division 1-A defenses.

“I tried to simply draft the three best quarterbacks that were interested in playing in the ballgame,” Player said. “I talked to each of the kids’ coaches and the young men individually to see what they thought about playing in this ballgame. They said, ‘Coach, we want to play, and we are willing to do whatever you ask us to do.’ ”

Talent isn’t a question. Gousha was the county’s No. 3 passer last season, completing 133 passes in 232 attempts for 1,985 yards and 17 touchdowns. Stokes doesn’t have comparable numbers, but he ran the county’s most potent offense (34.0 points per game). Johnson led Mountain Empire to a share of the 1-A championship.

Still, Johnson is a mystery. He turned down a scholarship to Illinois State for personal reasons and said he is working out at Grossmont College. This game seems a perfect showcase. But does he think so?

“I have no idea,” he said. “I’m just worrying about this game first and whatever comes comes.”

Player understands Johnson’s lack of experience and said he discussed theories of sophisticated passing and defensive coverage with him.

“My thing with Tim right now is to make sure a kid with that much ability doesn’t lose confidence in himself,” Player said.

Before Saturday’s 36-play scrimmage, in which each quarterback had an opportunity to run 12 plays, Player had indicated that his top quarterback was Stokes, with Gousha (pronounced Goo-shay) second and Johnson third.

But after the defense, run by Morse Coach John Shacklett, dominated the scrimmage and stuffed the running game, Player said he had changed his order.

“Sean moved up to No. 1 and Tim is No. 2,” Player said. “That could change, but as for right now, we are a better pass blocking team than a drive blocking team.”

If that remains the same through the team’s five remaining practices next week at Hoover High, Gousha and Johnson will get most of the playing time. But Stokes, who will attend the University of Hawaii to play receiver and quarterback, doesn’t seem to mind.

“Mainly I’m going to be used to make the offense and the running game click,” Stokes said Friday. “Those two (Gousha and Johnson) are assigned to the passing game mainly. (Player) wanted another dimension toward offense, like the option. So that’s mainly what he drafted me for.”

Don’t be surprised to see Stokes playing wide receiver, because the team lacks depth at that position. Although that would seem to favor a running game and Stokes’ chances to start at quarterback, the other two know they’ll get plenty of playing time.

“We all know were going to play,” Gousha said. “But who gets the start, who’s going to have that honor, that’s what we’re all working for.”