A dream of his own

Pasco's Josh Johnson, a versatile player, doesn't want to be in his father's shadow.

By Izzy Gould
Published August 31, 2007

DADE CITY - The dream always changes.

The last one Josh Johnson describes has his Pasco Pirates trailing by a point with three seconds left and the football planted on the 5-yard line. One detail never changes - Johnson always gets the ball.

"It's been crazy dreams about being down and up, keeping our composure," Johnson said. "I've been waiting for this game a long time."

Johnson has had a lot of restless nights since being promoted as a freshman to the varsity in 2005. Tonight's game against Land O'Lakes has weighed on him for months, but not because it's Land O'Lakes.

Johnson knows he has to have a brow-raising season to reel in college scouts. And he's itching to show Dade City folks who proudly tell stories about his daddy that the hype swirling around him 15 years later is warranted.

Old-timers remember Issac Johnson and when he became a local legend. They talk about that cool December day in Gainesville when he helped guide the Pirates to the 1992 Class 3A state championship and a 14-0 season.

Even coaches are guilty of weighing father and son.

First-year coach Tom McHugh sympathizes with Johnson. He too is carrying the weight of an entire town that expects him to wave a magic wand and revive the Pirates. McHugh vividly remembers Issac Johnson and his dazzling moves.

"I watched him from the stands," McHugh said of the quarterback. "When it was an important situation, they'd put him in at safety. You'd be sitting up in the stands and you knew this moment was important to them."

Like it or not, after the younger Johnson moved to varsity, his former coach, Dale Caparaso, began touting Johnson as the next big thing, and people began to hope he too could help recapture the good vibes of '92.

"I hate when people judge between me and my dad," Johnson said. "We're two different people. They expect me to be better than my dad. I know I have to be better than my dad."

When past coaches tinkered with Johnson's position placement - he played virtually every skills position - he often got frustrated. When one-year transfer Justin Smothers rotated with him as a sophomore, it simply clouded the situation.

"We wanted him to transfer because of what was going on," Issac Johnson said. "He wanted to stay. He's a tough guy. He had a lot on his shoulders. He's a part of me. They're always going to compare."

Johnson is Pasco's starting quarterback, but he plays plenty of places on the field. He's a slot receiver, a tailback, a kick returner, a defensive back. Maturity has made it more acceptable.

"I like to play quarterback, but I know I'm not the best quarterback," Johnson said." I know I can play it. I play better at slot because I can catch."

Johnson has two seasons left, and his legacy remains unclear. It's likely he'll be measured by two things: Pasco's success and whether he lands a college scholarship.

"I hope I have a big standout year so everyone can at least recognize who I really am," he said. "They've seen a little bit of me, but I've got a lot more."

Izzy Gould can be reached at izzygould@gmail.com or727 580-5315.

[Last modified August 30, 2007, 23:49:50]