Bragging Rights

Hey all! For friends of the Johnson Household, I would like to share an article on my Pops! I'm so proud of him! (I love the picture of him! This is probably the way I. . .and a lot of you. . . will remember him for the rest of our lives! Contemplative with a tightly rolled roster in his hand standing on the sidelines of his favorite sport!) I just love watching him coach! He is truly in his element! I'm amazed at how God has richly blessed him with an avenue that shows Christ to young men. What an amazing mission and responsibility! I am so proud! It's so awesome how 25+ years later, I'll have his old players approach me and tell me how his coaching touched their lives.

Please continue to pray for him in this new season (no pun intended) where he is in a place that he cannot freely share God's word (Fort Zumwalt East is a Public School). However, his actions have always spoken louder than words! No one can say that he is not a Godly man. He has had to find new and inventive ways to reach these young men for Christ's sake. It's hard when for 20+ years at WCA he could just point them to God's Word. Anyway, please pray as we never know the seeds we plant. . .

Anyway, I digress :)

Familiar name leads Lions

Johnson was AD, coached boys basketball at Westminster Christian
By Russell Korando

Saturday, November 29, 2008

After moving back to the area from the City of Brotherly Love, Terry Johnson was ready for a challenge.

The former Westminster Christian Academy athletic director and boys basketball coach is the head coach of the Fort Zumwalt East boys basketball team, which makes its first foray into varsity competition this season.

“When I saw there was an opening at a new school, it was intriguing to me,” said Johnson, who last coached Westminster during the 2002-03 season.

Johnson said Zumwalt East has a solid group of players it will lean on as it begins competition as a member of the Gateway Athletic Conference North and in Class 5. That means the start-up Lions will have to face GAC North roughhouse St. Charles West and then compete in the highest classification when districts begin.

“They’re young, so they’re very enthusiastic and that’s one thing we appreciate about them,” Johnson said. “That’s the positive side of it.

“We’re inexperienced and sometimes there are realities we have to deal with. We want to play hard and represent our school well. They work hard and that bodes well for the future.”

Because this is just the second year Zumwalt East has been open, the Lions have to make do without any seniors. They don’t have any players on their roster listed taller than 6-foot-2, so defending against size might be an issue.

“We have a group of decent players who are learning the game and we’re trying to compete hard and build a good foundation,” Johnson said. “Irregardless of what happens this year, we know we have a bright future ahead of us.

“We’re not a real big team. Matchups are going to be difficult for us. We’re going to have to work hard on rebounding. We have a couple hard-nosed players who will compete.”
Tuesday night’s opener against Lutheran in the Winfield Tournament is fast approaching and Johnson said he wasn’t set on a starting five as of Friday. He said he’s close to selecting the right players.

“We’re trying to teach continuity right now,” he said. “We have a couple really good players but you need five to get things done: set plays, trying to isolate better shooters and be smart about your type of shots and take care of the ball.”

As a junior varsity team last season, Johnson said the Lions struggled early but had a strong finish and made it to the championship game of the JV conference tournament.

“That gave us motivation in the off-season to work hard,” he said.
Junior Dante Bailey will be the starting point guard, and Johnson said Bailey is a very intelligent player who’s emerged as a leader and is a team captain.

“Dante does a very good job of reading the floor and sets the tone emotionally for us,” Johnson said.
Junior forward Nick Palardy is a post perimeter type, but Johnson said isn’t a center by any means.
“He has a decent outside shot,” Johnson said. “He’s our most versatile player.”
Besides Bailey and Palardy, Johnson said he has four or five good athletes trying to learn the way.
“We have several role players,” Johnson said. “Some will start, some will get significant time off the bench. It’s going to take time to get guys to give a full effort night in and night out.”

After facing Lutheran, the Lions will get their first taste of GAC North action on Dec. 9 at Duchesne.
“Lutheran’s a very tough team,” Johnson said. “They’re big and quick and experienced so we’ll probably learn a few things about ourselves. It will be fun getting out and competing.”