Johnson at a Loss in New Beginning : Preps: Mission Viejo falls to St. Paul, 21-18, and coach wonders why some are picking Diablos to win their league.

Bob Johnson kept telling everyone they were nuts for picking his Mission Viejo team to win the South Coast League.

Maybe Johnson was right.

Johnson’s first game as a head coach in almost 10 years ended with a 21-18 loss to Santa Fe Springs St. Paul Thursday night before about 3,500 at Mission Viejo High.

The Diablos appear to be much better than last year’s team that won only one league game. But Johnson and his staff have some work to do before Mission Viejo can contend for a league title. The Diablos committed three turnovers, two of them led to touchdowns. They also had trouble protecting transfer quarterback Billy Hart and were whistled for 65 yards in penalties.

“I thinks it’s ridiculous all these people were picking us to win the league,” Johnson said. “We had two returning starters off a one-win league season.”

It didn’t help that the inexperienced Diablos were facing a team that returned 11 starters from a Southern Section Division III runner-up. St. Paul didn’t look especially sharp either, but the Swordsmen turned over the ball only once and were able to ride the powerful legs of senior running back German Arias, who had 98 yards and three touchdowns in 18 carries.

“I thought both teams looked a little unorganized at times,” St. Paul Coach Marijon Ancich said.

Arias scored his first two touchdowns after Mission Viejo turnovers. The first touchdown--a two-yard plunge--came after a Hart pass was intercepted by Abraham Cruz in St. Paul territory. Arias put St. Paul ahead, 14-7, early in the second quarter when he scored from 10 yards out two plays after Mission Viejo’s Justin Shultz fumbled a punt at his 15.

Shultz atoned for his mistake by intercepting a Mike Holloway pass in the second quarter and catching two touchdown passes from Hart, the last one coming with 41 seconds left in the game. Hart’s first start after transferring from Foothill was not memorable. He completed 11 of 29 passes for 146 yards and was sacked five times.

Mission Viejo closed a 14-7 halftime deficit to 14-10 with a 31-yard field goal by Nate Atkinson, but St. Paul pulled away on Arias’ three-yard run with 7:56 left in the game.