​Johnson comes up big in Eagles 70-55 win over Indians

by Michael Smith


The Grain Valley boys’ basketball team got a big addition to their team this season – literally and figuratively.
The 6-foot-8 center was formerly homeschooled, played for Kansas East Christian Academy last season, and led all Kansas City metro are basketball players with 13 rebounds per game a year ago.

Now, he comes of the bench as a backup center to junior Sam Pendergrass, and he showed his impact in Friday’s Suburban White Conference game against Fort Osage. Johnson was one of four Eagles in double figures with 14 points, he also added six rebounds and three blocks to help Grain Valley earn a 70-55 victory on the Road.

“Kevin played amazing, he was really good,” Grain Valley junior Eli Herbert said. “He was so active.”

He went up against Fort Osage’s 6-foot-6-star center Isaac Woodward and got the better of the matchup. Pendergrass and Johnson held Woodward in check, holding him to just eight points.

Johnson also set good screens throughout, and one even led to him getting an open layup. He set an off-ball screen on a Fort defender in the second quarter just outside the restricted area. That freed up forward Evan Colston to receive a pass near the free throw line.

When an Indian defender rotated to guard Colston, Johnson rolled to the basket and received a pass for a wide-open made layup. He also had three offensive rebounds that led to six points for himself and scored a critical eight points in the fourth to help the Eagles close out the game and maintain a double-digit lead.

“That was a focus for this week,” Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert said. “We have big bodies; we need to screen people. We did a very good job of that. With his body type, that’s right in Kevin’s wheelhouse.

“Kevin is a big, strong kid He’s competitive. He’s a very sweet kid, but he’s very competitive. Isaac is the best post man he’s played, and he and Sam did a good job.”

Johnson said he was pleased with the way he played Friday.

“I posted up well and did everything the best I could,” Johnson said. “I made all my shots except my free throws. I love plays that involve picks because it gets guys open and can get me open under the basket.”

Johnson wasn’t the only one for the Eagles to have a good game as Eli Herbert led the team with 19 points, senior guard Aaron Barr added 12 and junior Anthony Juarez also had 12.

Juarez is in his in his first year starting as a small forward for Grain Valley (2-3). He did a little bit of everything as he defended well on the perimeter got out in transition and scored on the fast break and hit a corner 3-pointer in the third quarter.

“He’s good. He does it all for us,” Eli Herbert said of Juarez. “When he plays confident, he’s so good. He was hitting open shots today. That’s when he’s at his best when he is playing free.”

The Eagles led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter and were powered by five points from Barr and dominated the paint in the second period with 10 points in that area, with of those coming off assists as Grain Valley went into halftime up 29-22.

The Eagles outscored Fort Osage 21-15 in the third quarter to enter the fourth up 50-36 and were powered by an eight-point quarter from Eli Herbert in which he made five free throws and a three from the left wing.

The Indians didn’t get any closer than 12 points the rest of the way as Johnson helped the Eagles close it out with his rebounding and inside scoring in the final eight minutes.

​“We’ve been telling our guys, we’ve got good players,” Any Herbert said. “Anthony is a really talented kid. Today, he felt it and believed it. Evan is a long, athletic kid. The guys got confidence as the game went on and should help us going forward.”

Grain Valley senior Kevin Johnson, a transfer from Kansas City East Christian, scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds, and had three blocks in a 70-55 win over Fort Osage Friday on the road. Photo credit: Michael Smith