Williamsport’s Parker Johnson and I go back many moons. He has grown into an extraordinary young lad. Johnson is wicked smart, and he is very determined. His hard work is paying off on the gridiron. I grew up with his father, Brett, on Lincoln Avenue. His grandparents, Greg and Debbie, are outstanding people. They have been family friends ever since we moved here. Teach and Parker’s mom, Sue, were even college roommates. I used to give Parker knuckles in church when he was a youngster. You can’t make it up. My connection with Parker is pretty neat.
Johnson received the call last Friday. He was selected to represent TEAM PENNSYLVANIA in this year’s Big 33 Football Classic. Amazing. Parker will serve as PA’s kicker. Congratulations. This will be the 68th All-Star game that has featured some of the largest names in high school football: Pennsylvania and Maryland’s absolute finest. Parker and the boys will play at Cumberland Valley on Sunday, May 25th. This game is always televised. It’s a big deal, sports fans.
Parker had a splendid season. He was 28 for 31 on extra points and 11 for 13 on field goals. His longest was 41 yards. Johnson tallied 61 points on the year and helped Williamsport win the District II/IV Championship. Parker was clutch. A weapon for the Millionaires in 2024. The senior recorded 34 touchbacks. I got to call several of his games with IPT SPORTS. I think a few of those kickoffs just landed at Dunkin’ Donuts. He also served as the punter. Parker was deadly. He was so dynamic and never gave the opposing team any chances. Johnson received many honors. He was all Sun-Gazette and first-team Heartland Conference. Pretty impressive for a kid who is relatively new to the sport. Parker started kicking last March. Dude? Say what?
“My brother Jett and I went over to Lycoming College,” Parker explained. “I played soccer growing, and I always had a strong leg. We were just messing around. I started kicking 30-yarders. No problems. We kept moving back, and I was still connecting. After I made one from 50 yards, my brother gave me a surprised look. He then encouraged me to call the football coach.”
Parker was always an athlete. Soccer was his first love. A close second was swimming. Johnson is a stud. Someone I want to hang out with on the boardwalk. He spent a great deal of time in the weight room. He loves the gym. Training for those sports. The transition to Football was rather easy.
“I went to a camp and reached out to a few coaches that helped me,” Johnson continued. “I worked extra hard on my technique and started to go full throttle. It was a super busy fall. Coach Hoffstrom and my soccer teammates were great, and they were very supportive. I would get to practice a few nights a week with the footballers. I made sure that I was fresh and ready for Fridays. Coach Pearson was great. This required a great deal of communication with a lot of people. Everyone was so understanding. It all worked out.”
“Parker Johnson is a wonderful student-athlete,” Coach Mike Pearson stated. “It is very impressive to see a young man who plays multiple sports and does them well come out for football his senior year and earn a spot in the Big 33 Game. Incredible. Unheard of, really. He’s a super hard worker and a fantastic kid.”
Johnson originally wanted to play soccer in college, but he started getting calls from several football teams. His successes with kicking changed his perspective. He entertained several programs and enjoyed the recruiting process. Parker Johnson signed with East Stroudsburg University, a Division 2 squad that plays in the PSAC. Johnson is so excited about the opportunity. He loved the campus, and he is looking forward to making an impact. Parker plans to study Exercise Science. Great stuff, man.
Congratulations to Parker and his family. This is an incredible story. I am so happy for him on the Big 33 selection. I can’t wait to watch him at East Stroudsburg next fall. What a great kid. So easy to chat with. I enjoyed reconnecting with my old young friend. Well done, kid. Cheers.
