Chase Johnson, uncommitted Daingerfield 2025 QB, carrying over momentum in second season as starter
TATUM, Texas - After a strong finish to his sophomore season, momentum continues to build for Daingerfield junior quarterback Chase Johnson.
Now, he hopes to capitalize on a hot start to his second season behind center for the Tigers.
A week after throwing for three touchdowns in the Tigers’ season opener, Johnson topped that Thursday, throwing for four TDs. He also had a rushing TD as Daingerfield moved to 2-0 after a 34-17 win at Tatum.
His recruiting is also picking up. Johnson is currently talking to several schools, including Division I schools UTSA, Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State.
“It’s going good; I’m talking to about five schools. … I’m going to play my (junior) season and in another year, we’ll see what happens,” Johnson said.
Johnson added there is no clear-cut favorite at the moment, but mentioned he plans to visit UTSA later this season.
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BUILDING UP
Perhaps Johnson’s emergence at quarterback can be compared by the Tigers’ season openers his sophomore and junior seasons.
In Daingerfield’s opener last season, the Tigers struggled past Gladewater, 14-13. In last week’s rematch, Johnson threw for 221 yards and three TDs while adding 110 yards rushing with a TD in a 53-32 win.
“I’m doing better than last year because last year, we beat Gladewater (by one point), and we had a rocky start against Tatum,” Johnson said. “We didn’t have as many passing yards and after Tatum, we started building up and building up.”
That resulted in a perfect 6-0 record in District 11-3A Division II. The Tigers eventually reached the 3A DII semifinals before falling to Newton in a close game.
Johnson ended up throwing for nearly 3,500 yards and 42 TDs.
“It was a rocky start to my sophomore year,” he said. “The first time I started, I was nervous, but the guys kept rolling and I was feeling it and by district (play), we were rocking and rolling.
“(I had to) be more vocal and be a better leader. If someone made a bad play, I had to pick them up and not let them get down. … I just needed to be a better leader.”
Daingerfield players Ashton Williams (left) and Chase Johnson listen to the playing of the alma mater following the Tigers' 34-17 win at Tatum on Aug. 31, 2023.
OFFENSIVE OPTIONS
Johnson is also helped by plenty of talented players that can either carry or catch the ball. Those include senior running back Aeryn Hampton - a recent University of Texas commit - and senior receiver Amarion Simon-Jones, who caught three of Johnson’s TD passes Thursday, all in the first half.
Simon-Jones caught a 48-yard pass for the Tigers’ opening score. Then with the score tied at 7-all in the second quarter, he made a diving catch in the end zone on a fade route from 45 yards out, putting Daingerfield ahead to stay.
“It was a long throw, I did my progression and just let it fly and he caught it,” Johnson said.
Then later in the first half, the two connected again for the hat trick, as Simon-Jones hauled in a 36-yard TD reception which extended the Tigers’ lead to 13, 20-7.
“He’s a great receiver; he can get open and stay open. … Last year, we had the same connection, about 300 passing yards and six touchdowns, just me and him, and it carried over into next year, just rocking and rolling,” Johnson said of Simon-Jones.
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Johnson’s final TD throw came on the Tigers’ opening second-half drive. He launched a deep ball, with a wide-open Mason Williams catching it on the run and into the end zone from 42 yards out, making the score 27-14, Daingerfield.
On the night, Johnson completed 16-of-20 passes for 230 yards. He also accounted for Daingerfield’s final TD on a short run in which he shook off several tacklers.
“We’ve got a lot of people that can play different positions and everything,” Johnson said. “Receiver, running back, everybody can (do their part) and that’s what makes us so good.”
THESE EYES
Another improvement Johnson made over the offseason was improving his vision.
“My sophomore year, my eyes were bad,” he said. “This year, they’re getting better and I’m going to keep working on my progressions and all that.
“I was working during the summer, in the field, every day. Summer workouts, two-a-days, and I just got better.”
LOADED UP FOR BEARS
Johnson and the Tigers will be put to the test next week, as they go back on the road to take on Timpson.
Though the Bears (14-1, 2A DI semifinalists last season) were playing without heavily recruited athlete Terry Bussey, recovering from off-season knee surgery, they defeated Beckville in their opener last week, 50-13. Friday, Timpson travels to face Jefferson.
Last season, Timpson rolled past the Tigers, 54-28.
“We’ve got to come out hot,” Johnson said. “Last year, they beat us but it’s going to be a good game.”
-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveTX
