Aiken's Johnson has Hornets thinking about playoffs again
11/3/2009 12:04 AM
By CAM HUFFMAN
Sports Editor
Aiken High School's Aubrey Johnson knows what it is like to be named the Aiken Standard's Player of the Week. On August 24, following a Week Zero win over Berkmar (Ga.) High School, Johnson received that honor as a result of the 155 yards and two touchdowns he racked up in the Hornets' 40-28 win.
Throughout the next six weeks of the season, though, Johnson was bottled up. He gained just 29 yards in a win over South Aiken High School the next time out and then was held to 78 yards in a five-overtime loss to Silver Bluff the next week. He reached 100 yards only once in the six games, gaining 113 in a loss to Lexington, and his Hornets suffered as a result, going just 1-5 over that stretch.
Johnson got back on track on Oct. 16 against White Knoll, when he rushed for 123 yard, but Aiken couldn't pull out a win, losing 21-14 to fall to 2-6 on the season. With playoff hopes quickly fading away, the Hornet running back put his team on his back and rushed for 193 yards to lead Aiken to a 28-27 win over Orangeburg-Wilkinson the next time out.
He followed that up with 168 yards and four scores last week in a win over Dutch Fork, enough to make earn him recognition as the first repeat Player of the Week performance this year.
Now at 4-6 with one game left, the Hornets are still holding out hopes of sneaking into the playoffs. The final hurdle, though, is a big one, as the Hornets will have to pull off a major upset against a 9-1 North Augusta squad to even have a chance at the postseason. Johnson and his teammates, though, aren't giving up. That was evident when the Aiken Standard caught up with the senior Monday as his team ran through its first practice in preparation for the Yellow Jackets.
Both you and your team started pretty strong and then ran into a rough stretch. You have picked it back up the last couple weeks. What's been the difference? We been practicing right. We have been giving better effort and going hard every play. We're not taking plays off.
What went wrong during the bad stretch? People were complaining at practice and not taking everything serious.
Was there one moment that you can point to when you came together and turned it around? After the Irmo game (a 41-10 loss) - nobody was expecting us to beat Irmo - and after the game their coaches said we were a very good team. Our coaches told us we just had to come together as a family.
I know you mentioned earlier in the season that you wanted to become a better blocker. Have you done that, and what else have you improved this season? Some games I block, but some games I'm off again. I think I've gotten better at reading my blocks and making cuts.
What's been your motivation the last couple weeks? After Richland Northeast, our coaches told us we had to win every game to make it to the playoffs. Since that, we have been giving 100 percent every day.
You have another tough test coming up this week. Will you be ready for it? I think we'll be ready. It's a very big game. We have to have it to make it to the playoffs, and we have a bunch of friends over there.
Even if you don't make the playoffs, how much would winning this game mean? It would mean a lot. Everybody is saying they are going to beat us by 21 points. I just want to show them what Aiken football is all about.
Do you feel like you will be a dangerous team if you do make it in? Like our coaches said, if they let us in the playoffs, somebody's going to be in trouble.
11/3/2009 12:04 AM
Sports Editor
Aiken High School's Aubrey Johnson knows what it is like to be named the Aiken Standard's Player of the Week. On August 24, following a Week Zero win over Berkmar (Ga.) High School, Johnson received that honor as a result of the 155 yards and two touchdowns he racked up in the Hornets' 40-28 win.
Throughout the next six weeks of the season, though, Johnson was bottled up. He gained just 29 yards in a win over South Aiken High School the next time out and then was held to 78 yards in a five-overtime loss to Silver Bluff the next week. He reached 100 yards only once in the six games, gaining 113 in a loss to Lexington, and his Hornets suffered as a result, going just 1-5 over that stretch.
Johnson got back on track on Oct. 16 against White Knoll, when he rushed for 123 yard, but Aiken couldn't pull out a win, losing 21-14 to fall to 2-6 on the season. With playoff hopes quickly fading away, the Hornet running back put his team on his back and rushed for 193 yards to lead Aiken to a 28-27 win over Orangeburg-Wilkinson the next time out.
He followed that up with 168 yards and four scores last week in a win over Dutch Fork, enough to make earn him recognition as the first repeat Player of the Week performance this year.
Now at 4-6 with one game left, the Hornets are still holding out hopes of sneaking into the playoffs. The final hurdle, though, is a big one, as the Hornets will have to pull off a major upset against a 9-1 North Augusta squad to even have a chance at the postseason. Johnson and his teammates, though, aren't giving up. That was evident when the Aiken Standard caught up with the senior Monday as his team ran through its first practice in preparation for the Yellow Jackets.
Both you and your team started pretty strong and then ran into a rough stretch. You have picked it back up the last couple weeks. What's been the difference? We been practicing right. We have been giving better effort and going hard every play. We're not taking plays off.
What went wrong during the bad stretch? People were complaining at practice and not taking everything serious.
Was there one moment that you can point to when you came together and turned it around? After the Irmo game (a 41-10 loss) - nobody was expecting us to beat Irmo - and after the game their coaches said we were a very good team. Our coaches told us we just had to come together as a family.
I know you mentioned earlier in the season that you wanted to become a better blocker. Have you done that, and what else have you improved this season? Some games I block, but some games I'm off again. I think I've gotten better at reading my blocks and making cuts.
What's been your motivation the last couple weeks? After Richland Northeast, our coaches told us we had to win every game to make it to the playoffs. Since that, we have been giving 100 percent every day.
You have another tough test coming up this week. Will you be ready for it? I think we'll be ready. It's a very big game. We have to have it to make it to the playoffs, and we have a bunch of friends over there.
Even if you don't make the playoffs, how much would winning this game mean? It would mean a lot. Everybody is saying they are going to beat us by 21 points. I just want to show them what Aiken football is all about.
Do you feel like you will be a dangerous team if you do make it in? Like our coaches said, if they let us in the playoffs, somebody's going to be in trouble.
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