Perserverance pays off for Oak Christian’s Johnson

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The road to success on the basketball court hasn’t always been easy for Matt Johnson of Oaks Christian. He displayed glimpses of his immense upside as a sophomore but never got an opportunity, part because of his inexperience. As a junior, a broken wrist sidelined him early on in the season, a setback from which he never fully recovered.

It’s been one thing or the other. Call it bad timing or bad luck. Something continually derailed Johnson from realizing his full potential. That is until now. The senior is healthy and contributing for the Lions, averaging 15.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 2.2 blocks heading into Thursday’s game against Santa Barbara in the Pacifica tournament.
‘Matt is a fighter. There’s no such thing as giving up in his world,’’ Oaks Christian Coach Tom Roanhaus said Wednesday afternoon. ‘Believe me, I know plenty of other kids that would have gotten discouraged. That was never an option for him. He’s a winner in every sense. A leader.’’

His troubled beginnings are a thing of the past. A distant memory when you consider he’ll be playing NCAA Division I ball next year. Johnson committed to Columbia in November, choosing the Lions over Harvard, Portland and UC Davis. So, yes, it’s safe to say the future is bright, though it might not have always appeared that way.

-- Sean Ceglinsky