New coach David Johnson was in charge, but what would the rookie coach be like? And how would  is team look?

A 41-13 victory against Providence answered a few of those questions. The Titans, who host East Lincoln this week, will be exciting, unpredictable and sometimes erratic. They’ll be contentious, creative and in a constant search for players to step up and give occasional breaks to star player Denzel Heath, one of four two-way starters.

How long did it take for Johnson to put his stamp on this team? Maybe two minutes.

After recovering a season-opening onside kick to start the game, the Titans were marching downfield when the first of nearly 20 penalty flags was thrown. That’s when the Titans’ new 27-year old coach introduced himself to the referees, chattering non-stop about the call until he got a warning.

His response? He turned away from the official who gave the warning, looked at a reporter standing on the sidelines about 10 feet away, and winked.

“Just needed to let them know I’m here,” the Titans’ new coach said, a big smile on his face. It marked the beginning of a new era at Hopewell, the Johnson regime.

A new look

For better or worse, the 2011 version of the Titans is going to have a different style. Johnson was the offensive coordinator at Berry Academy last year, where the Cardinals ran a spread offense that featured speedy receivers. Last Friday, he debuted that style on a team that’s been a smash-mouth, run-oriented group for much of the school’s 10 seasons. Heath, the star running back who had 96 yards on the ground and two touchdowns on Friday, caught three passes last season. That was the most of any returning player on the team.

Early-game reviews were sketchy. New quarterback Chandler Chase was 4-of-7 passing in the first half for just 30 yards. It was hardly the high-octane attack Johnson was hoping for. The second half was a different story, however.

The jitters behind him, Chase relaxed, mixed the run and pass well, and the Titans erupted for four second-half touchdowns, three coming in the fourth quarter.

Chase threw three touchdown passes in the second half and, perhaps as important, did not throw an interception. Two of his scoring tosses were to junior wide receiver Jermaine Sanders, who also caught a two-point conversion. Sanders finished with three receptions for 84 yards, looking like a No. 1 receiver in the process.

Johnson praised the entire receiving corps, which, he says, experienced the most significant changes in duties as the team transitioned from run-first to the spread formation. Sophomore Dominique Heath also turned in a few huge plays, including a 33-yard scoring play in the third quarter, where he caught a pass in the left flat, and was able to out-run Providence defenders to the end zone. The younger Heath brother finished with three catches for 63 yards.

Unpredictable Titans

Hopewell isn’t just sporting a new offense. It’s also showing a philosophy that is intentionally unorthodox and unpredictable. On the first Providence possession, the Panthers went three-and-out. The ensuing punt was fumbled away by Hopewell, leading to a long drive by Providence that included a pair of fourth-down conversions. The drive eventually stalled, but was followed by another long Panthers drive that led to the first score of the game, on a 34-yard pass from James Haigh to Matt Yates.

The next possession was a three-and-out series for the Titans, followed by a 56-yard interception return for a score by Hopewell cornerback Cameron Underwood. By the time the Titans got possession again, the defense had been on the field for nearly eight minutes. Conventional thinking might suggest Hopewell would try to run the ball and give defenders a break.

Think again. A play-action fake and a long pass downfield fell incomplete, but it let opponents know something about the Titans’ new coach.

“First of all, we pride ourselves on conditioning,” said Johnson. “Even if the defense has been on the field a long time, they’re going to be in good enough condition to be able to go back out there. Second, we are going to be unpredictable.”

The Johnson-era Titans will also be aggressive. Shortly after taking a two-touchdown lead early in the fourth quarter, Hopewell regained possession and immediately went to the air rather than try to run time off the clock.

The new coach likened his strategy to a boxing match

“If you get a guy on the ropes, you go for it,” Johnson said. “You don’t let him wait until the bell saves him because then he comes out the next round and he’s a different boxer.”

PATs

The pace of the spread lends itself to one barometer Johnson uses to gauge whether his team is doing what he wants: The number of plays from scrimmage his team runs. Hopewell had 82 offensive plays against Providence. By contrast, fellow I-Meck foe Mooresville ran 59 plays in its 21-14 victory against West Rowan. … The Titans expect receiver Darius Smalls to be in uniform against East Lincoln. Smalls missed the opener with a toe injury. … Hopewell coaches were pleased with the play of the offensive line, which consistently won the battle in the trenches against the smaller Panthers. … If there’s any concern that the Titans might take 2A East Lincoln lightly this week, Johnson says not to worry.

“They’ve been where we want to be,” Johnson said, referring to the Mustangs trip to the state title v game in 2009.