GrizWhiz said:
Grizbacker1 said:
He is good, I have seen him twice and will be going to his playoff game this week if I can.
Backer-if you go, would you get us a report? I understand Zach is routinely double and triple teamed. Thanks in advance! :thumb:
Here is a recent SacBee article on one of Zach's teammates
Blake Johnson, Kennedy, senior/basketball
By Joshua Warn -- Special to The Bee
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, February 13, 2006
Story appeared in Sports section, Page C2
Instead of the usual ringtone, the elegant chords of a violin - similar to the introduction of "Masterpiece Theatre" -serenade every caller to the cell phone of Blake Johnson.
According to Johnson's friends, the classical score is a tongue-in-check allusion to his nickname, "Shiny Suit Man," a reference to Johnson's sense of style.
"When we have to dress up for school, Blake's always got the newest suits on," Kennedy teammate Zach Graves said. "He's not conceited or anything like that. He's just classy - he's got a lot of class."
But Johnson isn't simply style over substance. Despite suffering from asthma problems in the beginning of the season, Johnson has come on strong of late, averaging 16 points during the past eight games and helping the Cougars to an 8-2 Metro record and second place.
But his increased scoring from a previous average of 10 points is only a portion of his contribution. Graves said playing with Johnson has given the Cougars a needed lift and added a new dimension to their offense.
"He's a fun player to play with," Graves said. "He definitely adds to my assists category. Any time we go to the basket, just pass it out to Blake, and there's a good chance he'll hit it."
Graves said Johnson showed a lot of perseverance, fighting through the early-season sickness that threatened to sideline him for the entire season. But it's a level of discipline teammates and friends associate with the Kennedy senior, who currently carries a 4.0 GPA and has applied to many University of California and Ivy League schools. Johnson said Harvard called earlier in the week, but he hadn't yet listened to the specifics of the message.
"When someone has a son, they want him to be like (Blake)," Kennedy coach Al Seyford said.
