Leader Staff
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Shawano Community High School senior Richard Johnson made a layup on the opening possession of the game on senior night Thursday, getting the opportunity to score just four months removed from an ACL injury during the football season.
Shawano senior Richard Johnson was nervous as he stepped out onto the court Thursday to be a starter for the first time this season in his team’s Bay Conference season finale against New London.
Johnson, just four months removed from tearing his ACL in the Hawks’ Level 1 football playoff loss to Notre Dame and three months since surgery, waited under the basket for his time to shine on senior night.
“I was shaking really bad,” Johnson said.
Senior Tyrell Hesse, on the opening tip, got the ball to Josh Mueller, who made the long-distance pass to Johnson. Johnson, still in a knee brace after walking for the past month and a half, converted on the layup for the opening points of the game.
“It was just one of those moments that was great about high school sports,” Shawano head coach Dave Ambrosius said.
The Hawks (12-10, 9-5 Bay Conference) went on to win the game, 59-45.
Ambrosius initially came up with the idea before running it by his assistant, Eric Mueller. They then reached out to New London head coach Kurt Schommer.
“He was 100 percent supportive of it,” Ambrosius said.
After that, Ambrosius, who had suffered an ACL injury and understood what the senior forward has gone through, needed clearance from athletic trainer Sally Egan, and then confirmation from Johnson that he wanted to go through with the plan.
“He was very nervous and emotional at the same time,” Ambrosius said. “He’s put in a lot of work just to get to the point he has.”
The Hawks allowed the Bulldogs to go the length of the court for an easy bucket to tie the game before Cole Nelson purposefully dribbled the ball out of bounds on the next possession to allow Johnson to substitute out of the game.
The senior, who was shaking as he walked off the court and to the home bench, relished the moment.
“I was surprised that the team was going to do that for me,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who hopes to play college basketball at Fox Valley Technical College next winter, could ease back into sports as early as April.
Shawano opens postseason play Tuesday at home against Mosinee.