Johnson surpasses rushing goals
ADAMS TWP — In his own words, Isaiah Johnson spent an “incredibly tough” evening on the sideline at Ambridge High School's Moe Rubenstein Stadium Nov. 20.
Mars' junior fullback had gained 1,654 yards and scored 18 touchdowns through his team's first 11 games, helping the Planets reach the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals for the first time since 2010. But a back injury sustained in a quarterfinal win against Ringgold kept him out of action and Mars' season ended with a 48-41 loss to Central Valley.
“It was really hard, just standing on the sideline,” said Johnson. “I wanted to help the team so much, but there was nothing I could do, except support my teammates.”
It was a disappointing end to an otherwise great season that included a spot on the Greater Allegheny Conference First-Team Offense and earning the Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy with 96 regular-season points.
Johnson becomes the fourth Mars player to win the trophy, following Paul Ferrese (2005), Bill Bair (2006-07) and Josh Schultheis (2013). He assured himself of winning the trophy with a three-touchdown performance in a victory over Hampton Oct. 30.
“He's not big in stature (6-foot, 180 pounds), but he's a physical kid,” said Mars coach Scott Heinauer. “He has a ton of ability and works very hard and we see that.”
As a sophomore, Johnson started at wingback and gained 506 yards and scored five touchdowns on the ground with a 6.2 yards-per-carry average.
That effort, coupled with the knowledge that he would be getting more carries as a fullback this season, had Johnson thinking big prior to the start of the season.
“My goal was 1,500 yards, so I was a little surprised at what I ended up with,” said Johnson, “but I was confident I could have a good season.”
Johnson tallied over 50 percent (269 of 512) of Mars' rushing attempts this season.
“I was a little worn down by the end of the year, but I thought I prepared well during the off-season,” he said.
That included time in the weight room, which helped Johnson prepare for the workload.
“He gained 15 pounds from last year,” said Mars running backs coach Scott Pfeiffer. “His running style is a little different from the other guys we've had here. He's shifty, has good vision and runs with more power than people think.”
“My biggest asset is my speed,” said Johnson, “but I also have toughness and am tough to bring down.
“I have to credit my offensive line,” he added. “They are the ones doing all of the work up there. Most of my yards came because of them.”
