Darryl Johnson and the Concord Mountain Lions are headed to the NCAA Division II national semifinals. The Perryville High grad tied for team high with eight tackles as Concord defeated Bloomsburg 32-26 in the Super Region One Final Saturday in Athens, W.Va. Bloomsburg battled back from a 23-2 deficit to tie the game in the third quarter before Concord scored a go-ahead touchdown. Concord (13-0) next travels to Mankato, Minnesota, to take on Minnesota State Saturday at 2 p.m. (central time). The game will be streamed on ESPN 3. Colorado State Pueblo and West Georgia will meet in the other semifinal. The championship game will be held December 20 in Kansas City, Kansas. "It's been kind of amazing," Johnson said via phone Sunday night. "It's nice to be a part of a school's history. It feels like back in Perryville a little bit. Everybody doubts us every week but we keep winning." It has been a storybook season for Concord which had never won a playoff game prior to this season. And Johnson, a 6-1, 320-pound defensive lineman, has played a big role in the Mountain Lions' success. In that first playoff victory, 51-36 over West Chester, Johnson blocked a field goal which was returned for a touchdown by Mike Carey to give the Mountain Lions a 7-0 lead. In the regular season finale, Johnson blocked a field goal in overtime to secure a 29-20 victory over Shepherd in the Mountain East Conference title game. Concord went ahead 23-20 in the extra session on a 43-yard field goal by Andy Ellington. Johnson blocked Shepherd's attempt at a game-tying field goal and it was returned for a TD by Jeremiah Johnson. "It's a huge rivalry game," Johnson said. "They were recruiting me along with Concord. Concord was more genuine with their ideas and I could tell how hungry the coach and everybody here was." The Mountain Lions take great pride in their special teams play and it has paid off. "It's really a team effort," Johnson said. "We get a three-man push up the middle. Most teams go through the motions on kick blocks but if you strain yourself it can make a big difference in the game." An honorable mention All-Conference selection, Johnson has 52 tackles including 11 for losses and three sacks as he makes his first trip to Minnesota for Saturday's national semifinal. Comments are closed.
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