SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Despite His Size, Johns Packs a Wallop : Prep football: Newport Harbor’s 5-foot-9, 195-pound lineman helped Sailors advance to Division V final with overtime victory.

Bill Johns, Newport Harbor’s little big-play man, isn’t the most imposing figure on a football field.

The senior stands only 5 feet 9, weighs 195 pounds . . . and he plays nose guard .

He is a two-year starter on the defensive line, and he contributed, well, sort of, the last time Newport Harbor played in a Southern Section football championship game.

“I had a 15-yard clipping penalty on special teams,” said Johns, who was a sophomore when Newport Harbor lost to Irvine in the 1992 Division IV title game. “That’s my claim to fame in that game.”

But Johns is no longer confined to special teams.

His play on both sides of the ball helped the top-seeded Sailors (13-0) advance to the Division V championship game against third-seeded Servite (11-2) at 7:30 tonight at Orange Coast College.

Last week, Newport Harbor defeated Foothill, 13-10, in overtime. Johns, the Sea View League’s defensive player of the year, set the tone on the first play in overtime.

“Their guard was lining up wide all night,” Johns said. “It was the kind of play that Coach says if you can make it, it’s a great play. If you don’t . . .”

On the first play of the California tiebreaker--in which each team gets a possession starting on the opponent’s 10-yard line until the tie is broken--Johns burst through the gap between Foothill’s center and right guard and sacked quarterback Tyler Lang for a five-yard loss.

After a clipping penalty pushed the Knights back farther, the Sailor defense eventually held them to a field goal.

Newport Harbor trailed, 10-7, and had moved the ball inside the one-yard line. But faced with a fourth down, a timeout was taken and the Sailors conferred with Coach Jeff Brinkley.

“He asked us what we wanted to do,” Johns said. “We all wanted to go for it. We knew we could get it in because we were blowing them off the ball better in the overtime than we had during the whole game.”

Sailor quarterback John Giordani handed off to running back Brian Johnson, who plowed over the right side for the game-winning touchdown.

“I remember being at the bottom of the pile and we were yelling, ‘Did he get in? Did he get in?’ ” said Johns, who also starts at right guard.

It was no surprise that Brinkley chose to run to the right side.

“When the chips are down, Bill will make a play,” Brinkley said. “He plays with a lot of heart and desire. He gives you 100% and he’s the guy with the dirtiest uniform at the end of the game; just look for the little dark spot in the middle of the field.”

Brinkley isn’t alone in his praise for Johns. Opposing coaches know he has racked up 13 sacks and 95 tackles, including 10 for losses, to spearhead a defense that gives up only 10 points per game.

Ask people who have seen the undersized-overachieving lineman play and the superlatives begin to roll.

--Said Servite Coach Larry Toner: “He’s unbelievable; one of the quickest guys I’ve seen. He’s not 6-3, but holy catfish, he’s a complete football player. He’s a coach’s dream because he does exactly what you need and makes things happen when you need it most.”

--Said Irvine Coach Terry Henigan: “He’s one of my all-time favorite players. Usually linemen you don’t love to watch, but you do with him. He’s a kid who loves the game and it comes across.”

Although Johns is a small defensive lineman, he demands a large amount of attention from offensive linemen.

“He’s so quick and has explosive strength,” Brinkley said. “Offenses always have to account for Bill, a lot of times with two people.”

Johns and his teammates have reached the big game but they won’t be content with just an appearance.

“I felt like we knew we were going to get here,” Johns said. “A lot of the younger guys have stepped up. Our coach always said that if we played to the best of our ability, we can achieve anything.

“Our goal was to win the whole thing. I don’t think we’re cocky. I’d call it determination. We’ve been behind in six games and haven’t lost yet. We just refuse to die.

“It’s going to be a fun game.”

Times staff writer Martin Henderson contributed to this story.