East Union coach Willie Herrera put the future of the football program on the shoulders of a sophomore quarterback.

The burden would be heavy, the fifth-year coach was sure of it, but Herrera also believed the kid was up to the challenge.

On Friday, Jack Weaver proved that he could handle the load, showcasing his moxie and ability in an impressive 60-19 victory over Johansen.

Playing in front of the Red Sea for the first time as varsity starting quarterback, Weaver turned the tables on the Vikings (0-3) by turning on the creativity.

Trailing 19-17 late in the third quarter, Weaver sparked a 43-0 run with a 70-yard touchdown pass to receiver Austin Miller.

Weaver rolled to his right, eluding the reach of Johansen lineman Marcos Gonzalez and freezing the defensive backs with his eyes. With his defender occupied, Miller drifted down field, finding the space in the secondary.

Weaver split the defense with a soft pass, springing Miller for the first of two touchdowns.

East Union (1-1) would erupt for 21 points during a torrid three-minute stretch, turning this nip-and-tuck affair into a runaway victory for the hosts.

“Momentum is everything in this game,” Herrera said, “and as soon as we got it, they fed off of it.”

Weaver was 5 of 8 for 122 yards with flashes of brilliance at every turn in the game. He danced around the defense for a two-point conversion in the first quarter, connected on four extra-points, and then rescued a busted PAT with a quick flip to Isaac Danhoff.

On a night East Union honored the 1989 fotball team, its only Sac-Joaquin Section finalist, Weaver – not legendary alum Armando Avina – was the “hero” everyone was buzzing about.

This is just the start for the super sophomore, too.

“It was a fantastic debut,” Herrera said. “That’s a sign of somebody who wants to be a leader; somebody who is ready for it. It was a heroic effort.”

That sentiment could be said of all the Lancers, who rebounded from a 16-6 loss to Grace Davis.

East Union lost safety Dominic Honoroe and cornerback Lorenzo Gonzales to horrific injuries in the second half. Honoroe suffered a dislocation of his elbow and had to be carted off the field. After nearly a half-hour on the turf, Honoroe, a four-year player, left the field with his healthy arm raised high.

“Beat these guys,” he yelled in between sobs.

Gonzalez was later treated for a dislocated ankle.

The Lancers rallied around their fallen, though.

A defense that was picked apart in the first half, especially in third-and-long and fourth-down situations, was stout in the final two quarters, forcing three turnovers while limiting the Vikings to just 45 yards of offense.

By comparison, Johansen rushed for 132 yards in the first quarter alone en route to a 19-17 halftime lead.

Herrera said he and defensive coordinator Jason Stock challenged the defense at the intermission. Stock even left his perch atop the press box.

“We were disappointed by our performance. It shocked us, because we had a great two weeks in practice,” Herrera said of the defense’s first-half malaise. “We were making mistakes that we didn’t make before. I don’t know if it was first-game jitters or what.

“We told them to calm down and start playing for each other. … They took that (the injuries) and used it. The defense was huge.”

Linebackers Baily Simons and Joel Melena led the charge with a fumble recovery and sack apiece. Angel Sena also had a fumble recovery.

All three turnovers led to touchdowns.

“I’m proud of these guys. They could have folded it in,” Herrera said. “We challenged them. ‘What kind of team are you going to be?’ ”

With Weaver under center, the Lancers promise to be an exciting one.

He pulled all the right strings in the tricky Wing offense, and East Union displayed a quick-strike ability it lacked last fall.

The Lancers scored 17 points on just 15 first-quarter plays and then found the end zone on five of its six second-half possessions.

Joseph Borba (nine carries, 48 yards) scored two touchdowns on runs of 9 and 13 yards.

Angel Roblero (eight carries, 46 yards) rumbled in from 3 yards, Melena opened the scoring with a 15-yard burst, and Chewy Ceja (45 yards) and Sena (three carries, 75 yards) also had rushing touchdowns.