Antelope Valley’s Johnson Transfers to Pierce : College football: Defensive back dropped from Marauder squad for ‘disciplinary reasons.’

John Johnson, an Antelope Valley College defensive back who led the Foothill Conference in interceptions last season, has transferred to Pierce after being kicked off the Antelope Valley football team last month.

Antelope Valley Coach Brent Carder said that Johnson was “off the team for disciplinary reasons.” Pierce Coach Bill Norton confirmed that the 1989 graduate of Palmdale High had enrolled at Pierce and was expected to start eight-week courses totaling four units on Thursday night.

To be eligible to play for Pierce in the fall, Johnson must earn those four units and another eight units during summer school.

“Johnny says he’s coming, and I have every reason to believe him,” Norton said Thursday. “But it won’t be official until he shows up for class tonight.”

Johnson intercepted nine passes and had 30 tackles in 10 games for Antelope Valley (8-3) last season.

“We’re excited and happy to have him,” said Norton, who was the head coach at Palmdale from 1984-86. “He’s a very talented player who has the speed and size to play any position in the defensive backfield.”

Johnson (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) played cornerback for Antelope Valley, and was an All-Foothill Conference second-team selection.

As a Palmdale High senior, he was a first-team All-Golden League selection at wide receiver and defensive back. He caught 16 passes for 388 yards (24.3 average) and four touchdowns, and had one interception.

Johnson, a freshman, originally signed a national letter of intent with Washington State, but when he failed to meet Proposition 48 academic requirements, he enrolled at Antelope Valley.

He will be one of seven Palmdale High products on the Pierce team.

The others are tailback LaShante Parker, an All-Western State Conference Southern Division second-team pick; quarterback Joe Pica; wide receiver Shannon Culver; safety Darius Wilson; strong safety/outside linebacker Tony Frazier; and fullback Anthony Florence.