By GIUSEPPE UNGARO
Managing Editor
If there is anyone who embodies the philosophy that attitude is everything, it is Jeremiah Johnson. The recent Ocean City High School graduate could have spent his days as a Red Raider sulking or perpetually in a bad mood, but he never let adversity get the best of him.
Johnson got hurt enough to almost warrant his own personal staff at the hospital. He seemingly couldn’t stay healthy his first three years of high school, suffering two broke collarbones, a broken growth plate in his wrist and a broken forearm.
Despite all these setbacks, Johnson returned to have a standout senior year in both wrestling and lacrosse.
“Not only is he a great player, but he is one of the toughest kids I know,” Ocean City lacrosse coach Joe LaTorre said. “All the years I‘ve been coaching, I never had a kid have three season-ending injuries, three years in a row, then come back his senior year and just dominate.”
He added: “He might be one of the less serious guys you’ll meet. He doesn’t have a serious manner. You would think it would hurt him, but he has a laid-back attitude. He is one of those kids, when the pressure is on him, he never cracks.The best thing he has is that he has a good time playing. He is able to handle the pressure.”
Johnson ended the lacrosse season with 66 goals, and fell two tallies short of 100 career goals because of his injuries. He was the team’s leading scorer a year ago when he broke his collar bone for the second time.
Despite all the injuries, Johnson stayed positive.
“I’m serious at times, but I believe that you play sports to have fun. You have to love the sport, and have fun. It doesn’t always have to be serious,” Johnson said.
He added: “I was disappointed being injured all the time. It seemed like I was always injured or broke a bone here and there, but with the opportunities I got, I tried to make the most of everything. I was pretty excited about the way I finished (my season at Ocean City).”
With Johnson lighting up the scoreboard in lacrosse, the Red Raiders won the Cape-Atlantic league title, which is what the star player said he liked the most about this season. It helps that the Red Raiders edged rival Mainland to win the league crown.
“My favorite moment was when we beat Mainland, at Mainland,” Johnson said. “That was the icing on the cake. We won by one and we won the Cape-Atlantic League.”
Johnson was also a standout on the wrestling mat. This season he finished second at 152 pounds at the District 32 Tournament, and ended the year with 18 wins.
“He is a hard worker in the room. He was a captain this year and a leader on the team,” Ocean city wrestling coach Dave Castellini said. “He is somebody everyone on the team could look up to. To have the senior season he did, it’s a credit to his character.”
Johnson’s perseverance paid off, as he said he plans to play lacrosse at Chowan University in North Carolina this fall.
“I think it’s awesome,” Johnson said. “I’m pretty excited they want me to play there and they are interested in me.”
Contact Giuseppe Ungaro: gungaro@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDgisepu