Coal GroveÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Owen Johnson (23) drives to the basket as Coal Grove takes on Fairview during a boys high school basketball game on Monday, December 26, 2022, in Westwood, Kentucky.
Coal GroveÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Owen Johnson (23) drives to the basket as Coal Grove takes on Fairview during a boys high school basketball game on Monday, December 26, 2022, in Westwood, Kentucky.
COAL GROVE, Ohio ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Owen Johnson will make passes in Pippa Passes, Kentucky.
Shots, too. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound senior guard from Coal Grove signed with Alice Lloyd College on Tuesday. He chose Alice LloydÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s offer over one from Heidelberg.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt felt like home to me,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Johnson said of Alice Lloyd. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt has that small-town feel. Everybody knows each other. It feels like a family down there.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Johnson said heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll play either point guard or shooting guard.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThey want me to come in and score for them,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Johnson said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWhatever they want me for, IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m down for it.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Johnson, the second-leading scorer in Hornets history, is a special-mention all-stater and a The Herald-Dispatch All-Tri-State selection.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œGreat basketball player whoÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll be successful at whatever he does,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Coal Grove coach Kevin Vanderhoof said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œFor the last four years, heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s been the staple of our program. He did everything we needed him to do. He worked at it. He never missed open gym. WeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re going to miss him for sure.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Johnson averaged 16 points per game as a freshman, 18 as a sophomore, 23 as a junior and 22 as a senior.
Johnson began playing basketball in kindergarten, and unlike his baseball-playing relatives, favored the hardwood over the diamond.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œEverybody in my family played baseball,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Johnson said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI grew up playing baseball, but around sixth grade, I was really loving basketball. I was making a lot of friends there. It was just so enjoyable, and I really love it.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Johnson also runs track. His second love behind basketball, though, is croquet.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œFor some reason, my family started playing that,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Johnson said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe have a very nice course around our house and I love playing that game. I donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t know why. ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s just a fun game to play with everybody.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Johnson said heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s as competitive on the lawn as on the basketball court,
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œOh, yeah,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ he said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a lot of trash talking going on.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
He plans to major in kinesiology.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI just wanted to be in a field where I can help people,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Johnson said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI want to make people feel better. IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve gone to Ironton Physical Therapy and it made me really want to do that.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
