By Taylor Shillam
Zach Johnson, Senior Lake City Student Spotlight
Lake City senior Zach Johnson is 18 years old and holds an impressive streak of athletic and academic success.
“I was the league defense MVP last season for football as well as being a two-time All-State player the last two years,” Zach says. “I’ve won three district championships for basketball while in high school, and I currently play on the 25th-ranked team in the country for high school basketball.”
During last year's track season, he was the district champion for the 200-meter dash and a district champion for both the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. He competed at a state level in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, and the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.
“Throughout all four years of high school, I’ll have received a varsity letter 12 times (four letters for three sports),” Zach says. “I am a 4.0 student athlete with an academic letter as well.”
Along the way, Zach has developed a strong sense of ownership, on and off the field.
“One very important lesson I’ve learned from sports that applies to all aspects of life is that everything that happens to you on the court or field, good or bad, is your fault,” he says. “When I started to realize this, it helped me to take preparation, workouts, practices, and even school to a new level in so many ways. It added another level of seriousness to what I’m trying to accomplish.”
His dedication has remained strong, even through setbacks.
“The biggest challenge I faced in sports was injuring my knee my sophomore year. It caused me to miss that summer of practices and workouts—which is the time for high schoolers that the most progress is made during training and practicing,” Zach shares. “To have to sit out was pretty difficult; not to mention it set me back in progressing toward being a better athlete and football player.”
Upon graduation, Zach plans to continue his education and his football career at the University of Idaho. He hopes to remain close to sports with a major in pre-physical therapy.
He chose this field “mostly because I can still be around sports to some extent after I get done playing with the job opportunities the degree presents,” he says.
Today, Zach’s favorite aspect of football is the opportunity to compete. “Taking all the days and weeks of practice and training, and putting it into a game that only lasts a couple of hours, is the ultimate opportunity to compete at a high level against whoever it is you’re playing. That’s why I enjoy it.”
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