by Ryan James
bassgemrj@hotmail.com
 When a program improves to one of the elite teams in state the school benefits and has a group of guys to really get behind. Talent is plentiful and wins come at a rapid pace. But with every great program there are a couple kids that don't see a big future for themselves in that sport so they move on. Some quit sports and sulk while others look to shine in other areas.
At Henry Sibley, was a sophomore on the junior varsity team two years back. Matt was a quality two guard who was one of the leading scorers on that team. But looking into his future Matt didn't feel that minutes were a big part of his time spent on the court. So he decided to try something new and now he confidently has a new love and that starts with football.
"The first time I ever played football was when I started junior year," explained Johnson. "Tom Orth, the head coach, just came up to me one day after a basketball practice and talked to me about joining the team. He thought I was a good athlete and had good hands so he thought I should try it. Then, while in Mexico, I met one of the players from the team. After just playing some football on the beach he told me I could come out and start right away. So, when basketball just didn't work out, I decided I would try it.
 "It was very hard catching up with people. Everyone knew what they were doing and knew how things went. I just tried to learn what to do and how to line up. But I'm kind of a quick learner, so I picked it all up pretty fast."
Completely green trying a new sport Johnson's coaches saw some potential and gave him a chance right away. "I've played football for two years," Johnson explained. "I started my junior year. It was an interesting transition. But I think my years in basketball helped me out a lot in football. The hand-eye coordination, jumping, using your body, etc."
Things did not go as smoothly as hoped for Johnson or his team. The record has not looked so hot and Matt was hampered with injuries. "The season was obviously very disappointing," Matt explained. "For me, personally, I did not have the season I had hoped to have. I was not 100% for most of it. I tore a ligament in my hand last year and it nagged me throughout the year. Not until the end of the year, did I feel 100%. With Phil Haig leaving, we did not throw the ball except when it was absolutely necessary.
"I still feel I improved greatly in only my second year of playing. For the team, it was not a good year. A lot of key players were lost last year, so the offense struggled very much without Phil or Andre (Tate`)."
Matt had a decent year catching the football as a Sibley wideout but at 0-9 on the year it was tough to pinpoint many outstanding highlights. But one that stood out to many from the Warriors was a play in practice. "I was running a drag route underneath the coverage and the quarterback rocketed one behind me," Johnson explained. "I just reached behind me with my right hand at about the height of my head and just palmed the ball and kept running. It was one of the best catches I've made in my short career."
Matt has shown enough athletic potential to garner some interest on the field. He is a work in progress and this is something that Matt knows but with a budding knowledge of the game Johnson is getting college interest. "Pretty much every school in the MIAC is looking at me," Johnson explained. "I also have some minor division two interest, like Concordia-St. Paul.
"But most of the interest is coming from teams in the MIAC. The schools going after me the most are probably St. Olaf, Gustavus, and Carleton. But I've had interest from all of them. I'm hoping to make my decision at the end of the month or in the first couple weeks of March. But who knows."
As far as basketball goes Matt has found a new passion, the same passion that many ex-basketball players have after they leave the game and that's coaching. "I never really left basketball, I've been coaching 5th and 6th graders for two years now," Matt explained. "Coaching kids has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."
And with every ending opens a new beginning. |
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