PRC Player of the Year almost skipped the soccer season. Waffle House changed his mind.
Stephen Johnson had just wrapped up a long season on the gridiron playing football for the Pearl River Central Blue Devils.
He was at the midway point of his senior year and considering skipping his last soccer season before graduation. The thought weighed on his mind heavily as he contemplated the decision inside of a Waffle House over an order of the All Star special, double everything.
That’s when he decided he was returning to the pitch.
“One day I was at a Waffle House and I was just in my mind thinking about it,” Johnson told the Sun Herald. “In my mind right there I said, ‘you know what? I’m going to finish the rest of my high school career playing soccer’ right there in the Waffle House diner and I told my coach 5 minutes later.”
The decision proved worth it as Johnson became on of the Coast’s most valuable defenders. At season’s end, he won the Sun Herald’s Fan Choice Player of the Year honor, even beating out a talented teammate in Brant Tarter.
“It feels really amazing,” Johnson said. “Also, it felt really lucky because of the people in my community voting for me and having that type of support behind my back. I really loved it, it was awesome.”
Johnson played an integral role in PRC’s plus-30 goal advantage this season and its run to the second round of the state playoffs.
The only regional games the Blue Devils lost were both to eventual 5A champions Long Beach.
Johnson carved out his role with physically imposing defense, high IQ and versatility.
“He’s just a dominating guy, he’s real strong,” PRC head coach Joe Weems said. “He just plays hard... He’s a smart player, he’s usually in position. He doesn’t let a whole lot of guys get by him.
“I never expected him this year to play as well as he played. I expected big things from him but he had a fantastic year. He was in the zone the whole year.”
Johnson will attend his final class at PRC this May but fans can expect his hard-nosed defense to continue to manifest in the form of his younger brother Jadyn.
And if Jadyn has any second thoughts about playing next season, he can just visit his local Waffle House.
