Aurora Christian sophomore Asa Johnson is used to having a ball in his hands.
As a backup quarterback and starting pitcher, he’s also accustomed to having time and space.
The 6-foot-5 forward scored just one basket Friday, but the symbolic importance loomed large.
“They were playing off me, so I got it into my mind that I have to get the intensity going and get us on our feet,” Johnson said. “I called for the ball and made it, and that got our team going.”
Johnson’s 3-pointer in the second quarter sparked a dominant 22-7 spurt, getting the Eagles going for a 61-52 victory over Serena in the Class 1A Harvest Christian Sectional championship game.
It’s the first sectional title since 2020 for Aurora Christian (24-8), which plays at 6 p.m. Monday in the NIU Supersectional against Pecatonica (31-5), a 60-50 winner over Lanark Eastland.
Johnson, one of four sophomore starters, played his part with five rebounds, an assist and a steal. Sophomore guard Marshawn Cocroft scored 29 points and senior forward Cameron Morel had 18.
Cocroft scored 14 points in the second quarter as the Eagles built a 31-20 halftime lead. Johnson’s value and contribution to winning, however, was subtle as that force in the middle.
“Asa is another unsung player,” Aurora Christian coach Dan Beebe said. “He does so many little things that helps us win games.
“We have 24 wins now, and you’ve got to have players like Asa on your team in order for that to happen.”
Cocroft and sophomore guards Jalen Carter and Jacob Baumann, who added seven points Friday night, all played on the varsity last winter.
Johnson’s game, meanwhile, has evolved since the start of the season. He has a thick body, soft hands and an excellent feel for the game, demonstrating a keen knack when thrust into the action.
A lack of interior size opened up his playing time, and Carter was the first to point out that Johnson is a deceptively good shooter from long range.
”He’s actually our leading 3-point shooter by percentage,” Carter said of Johnson. “He brings a lot of energy to our team. When he gets going, he does things very fast. He’s very active out there.”
Johnson’s feathery outside touch brings an element of surprise, according to Cocroft.
”Asa is a big part of our offense,” Cocroft said. “Teams don’t realize he can shoot, but he can. When they left him open like that, I knew the shot was going in. After that, we just kept going.”
Johnson, one of Aurora Christian’s ace pitchers as a freshman last season, has that experience of operating in the spotlight.
He showed his composure after Serena (31-4) cut down a 14-point deficit to three in the fourth.
”The great thing about Asa, and all of our sophomores, is they never get rattled,” Beebe said.
Growing up, Johnson had the ideal mentor in his older brother Jackson, a standout athlete at Sycamore.
“My big brother was always pushing on me, in a good way, making sure I was getting the right kind of competition and toughness,” Johnson said. ”He was a huge part of my childhood and the reason I’m competitive and into the game like this.”
The pandemic ended Aurora Christian’s run to the state semifinals in 2020, but Johnson is thrilled to have a chance at taking part in a new chapter with the Eagles.
“I just love making a positive play and seeing the bench guys just go crazy,” he said. “That just gets the adrenaline going. I need to show up for them and do everything I can to play my best.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
