Burlington Township and Justin Johnson have a lot more football in them

It was a simple slant-and-go route, just Justin Johnson trying to outrun the cornerback lined up tight in front of him.

And Johnson burned him.

"The corner came up and my quarterback [Danny Grozozski] had the IQ and awareness to pick up on it," Johnson said. "We took a chance — and it worked out."

It has been a theme of this season for the Burlington Township football team: The Falcons don't always look polished. They're not the most complete team. But they're big. They're strong. They're fast.

And they make big plays.

"In my opinion, I can say this," said Falcons head coach Tom Maderia. "I think the fifth wide receiver on our team might be the No. 1 on a lot of teams."

Johnson's 64-yard touchdown on Friday night helped the 3-0 Falcons, ranked No. 9 in South Jersey by the Inquirer, seal a convincing 23-0 win on the road over a veteran Moorestown team that won nine games a year ago.

There were patches of the game, for both teams, that were hard to watch. It was sloppy. Burlington Township had trouble executing.

But, for the Falcons, there were flashes of brilliance — just as there has been through every game this season.

Johnson even threw for a touchdown in the game on an option to tight end John Norris in the corner of the end zone.

"We're just having fun as a team right now — and, as a team, we expect to score every time we touch the ball," said Johnson, whose Falcons have outscored opponents, 116-15, through three games.

Johnson already has 158 receiving yards this season. But he's not the leading receiver on his team.

Tyrese Ware — a transfer who was a standout on a Camden Catholic team that was one of the best in South Jersey last year — has six catches for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Isaiah Pae — who stands 6-foot-4, 205 pounds — has eight catches for 182 yards. And Norris even has over 100 yards receiving in the young season.

Each player brings something a bit different. Johnson happens to be one of the fastest players in South Jersey.

He smiles when he brings up his time in the 40-yard-dash.

"It was 4.55" seconds, said Johnson, who measures 5-foot-10, 180-pounds. "But I think it's time for me to run it again."

Johnson has been a big-play threat for the Falcons over the last two seasons. This year, he's trying to take his game to another level.

"I spent more time in the weight room this offseason, and the biggest thing is trying to get in work with my teammates," Johnson said. "Not only does it help us jell, but, personally, I feel like our secondary is as good as any that we'll play this season. So if we can play our best against our own defense, then we know we'll be able to play well against anybody."

Through three games, it's hard to ignore the obvious: a team that has scored 116 points and still doesn't look totally in sync.

Maderia went as far as to say he was unhappy with his team's offensive performance on Friday.

The coach, like his players, has visions of what the Falcons can do when if they can maximize their brilliant potential.

"There's a lot more down the road, and there's a lot more to see," Johnson said. "I have faith in these guys and I know we're going to get the job done. We just have to come together and play hard from beginning to end."