On Heels of State Championship, Mission Viejo Set up for More Football Success

Published on December 13, 2023

MISSION VIEJO, Calif.—Chad Johnson makes no secret of the weight that sat heavily on his shoulders. “Relieved is the word I would like to use,” the Mission Viejo High School football coach told reporters, describing his overriding emotion after the Diablos claimed the CIF Division 1-AA state championship Dec. 8 with a 27–14 victory over longtime Northern California power De La Salle of Concord at Saddleback College. “Taking over the reins of a program like this that is so storied and has so many championships and so many great players and all of that, there’s a lot of pressure,” he said. “You don’t want to be the guy that screws it up.”...