By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
If the 2017-2018 season was “the biggest challenge” of Central High School boys’ basketball coach Armando Johnson’s coaching career, there shouldn’t be anything he is not prepared for heading into the 2018-2019 campaign.
Johnson’s program was decimated by academic ineligibility, claiming 12 players from the freshman to varsity level, and contributing to a winless 2017-18 varsity season.
“This helped me shape our approach to this season, in that we will have to focus on the academic portion of our day; starting each practice in study hall before even taking the floor,” said Johnson, who enters his eighth season as the Bulldogs’ head coach.
In the middle of the turmoil, however, the Bulldogs’ freshman squad did manage to garner a few wins to provide some hope for the future of the program.
Returning for the Bulldogs is 6-foot-1 senior Donte Reese, who averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game last season.
“Last year, he was the only player with varsity experience,” Johnson said of Reese. “The same holds true this year, as he will be our only returning skilled player with varsity experience. Other players played at the junior varsity level with a few minutes of varsity clock during the year, after losing players to academic ineligibility.”
Johnson said he had good numbers during offseason workouts and is hopeful that will carry over into this season.
“We are looking for a new player to step up and show that they are ready for the varsity level,” Johnson said. “Many have been applying for the job, but it won’t be until the games start that we will be able to know who is capable.”
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Not only will the Bulldogs need to be prepared for the season, they also will need to be ready for Central’s return to the Ozark Conference after a 20-plus-year absence.
“Since this is our first year (back), I am optimistic there will be players who quickly understand the effort, skill level and dedication required to compete at this level,” Johnson said. “Every school in the district is ahead of us in terms of experience, but hopefully, our players will raise their level of play and meet the challenge of playing in the Ozark Conference.”
Johnson hopes those offseason workouts not only will produce more wins but will mark the return to a winning culture at Central.
“We don’t have a lot of physical strength, but our kids have demonstrated a level of tenacity that I think will help us accomplish more in small steps and eventually lead to success for the program in the years to come,” Johnson said. “We are working to change their perception of what hard work is and instilling a work ethic to do the extra little things when they are not at school, so they can improve exponentially as basketball players.”
The Bulldogs open the season on Nov. 20 at Willard and will be participating in the first year of the Phog Allen Tournament, hosted by William Chrisman High School, as well as the Bolivar Tournament.
The conviction to one day return Central basketball to prominence in the city has led to Johnson’s decision to retire as the boys’ head basketball coach after this season. His plan is to work with the kids in the feeder schools to help improve the basketball programs for the northside schools.
“Many of these young student-athletes do not have access to training until they reach high school, other than the short seasons they may have at the middle-school level,” Johnson said. “I want to try and bridge the gap, along with having an outlet during, what I believe, is a crucial portion of their athletic development.
“I hope that I am afforded the time and opportunity to provide them ‘free’ development, where they can arrive at the high-school level with skills commensurate with those of some of the other high schools in the Springfield area.”
