Chasing a Dream

By:  Jaamal Rhodes

If there is a ball bouncing, he is there. If there is a hoop to shoot on, he's shooting. If there is a game going on, he is either playing or trying to get next. A certified “basketball junkie”, Stanley Johnson's heartbeat carries the sound of a leather ball hitting a hardwood floor.

After spending his freshman and sophomore seasons as a reserve, Stanley began to come into his own during the summer just before his Junior year in 2008. For the first time, he committed himself to working out and not just playing to get better. During that summer you could routinely find him in the weight room lifting and in the gym shooting. His efforts quickly began to yield results as he participated in the Florida State Individual Skills Camp and was named Camp MVP. Stanley carried the confidence he gained over the summer into the season. With a new coach combined with the graduation of a number of key players, much wasn't expected from the 2008-09 Screaming Devils. Behind the strong play of Stanley the team finished the regular season with a conference record of 7-2 and had an upset victory over Twiggs County to send them to yet another appearance in the State Playoffs. Stanley averaged 18.6 points per game, and 6.4 rebounds. His consistent performance led to him being named Team MVP and CSRA Honorable Mention.

Stanley's senior year began with yet another coaching change, his third in his four years of wearing a Screaming Devils uniform. Although the change was in house (the previous season's assistant became the head coach), adjusting to a new head coach takes some time. The Devil's sputtered to begin the season losing four of its first six games. They rallied and with Johnson leading the way, they won the nine out of twelve games. Two of the loses were by a combined six points and included a 64-60 loss to the AA State Semifinalist Laney Wildcats. On their way to a solid season, Stanley averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds per game. He was named to the All Tournament Team at the Evans Riboli Christmas Tournament and again a CSRA Honorable Mention.

Two consecutive seasons of solid play drew the interest of a few small college programs. . Despite his on court success, there was an issue; the Georgia High School Writing Test. Having earned enough credits to graduate and scoring well enough on the ACT to accept a college scholarship, not passing the GHSWT prevented both of these. Stanley fully understood the ramifications of not passing the test so he worked hard, getting extra help and preparing for his final opportunity to satisfy this requirement to graduate and continue his athletic and academic career. He accepted a scholarship to Luraleen B. Wallace Community College in Andalusia, Alabama contingent on his final academic standing. He began to search for alternative methods that would allow him to move from high school to college. Those alternatives were; enrolling in a private school over the summer as other students had done prior to him and also submitting a waiver to the Georgia Department of Education. Both of these scenarios came into play when Stanley, on his final attempt, again failed to pass the writing test. Devastated that after thirteen years of schooling he would not have the opportunity to participate in his class graduation, Stanley began to prepare himself for his next step. He submitted the paperwork to enroll into Faith Academy in Atlanta, Georgia and also completed the process to receive a waiver. As graduation approached and passed, Stanley was all set to head to class for the summer. Just prior to classes beginning, he received a letter from the Georgia Department of Education. The letter informed him that he had been granted the waiver and could receive his high school diploma.

Officially a high school graduate, Stanley could now pursue his life long dream of continuing his athletic and academic career. He enrolled at LBW Community College and began to do what came natural with a little something added. He continued to work hard in the gym but he began to put forth more effort in the classroom also. As a freshman Stanley saw limited action on the court. As a student, he saw great improvements in the classroom ending his freshman year with a 3.0 grade point average. Although his playing time was limited, his skill set caught the attention of the coaches at Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina. Wanting to be pushed and taught more (LBW had only one full time coach on staff) Stanley decided to transfer.

What happens from here is yet to be seen. If things hold true, there are a few situations we can be sure of. One; because of his love and passion for the game, Voorhees coaches will have a hard time keeping Stanley out of the gym. And two; he will not let himself be put at the mercy of academic standards as he continues to work towards his degree in Criminal Justice.