When you hear “St. Vincent-St. Mary High School”, the first thing that probably comes to your mind is LeBron James; since that is the high school he attended. You might have also seen the movie “More Than A Game” which focuses on the lives of LeBron and the “Fab 5” from Akron, OH (LeBron James, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee, Dru Joyce III, and Romeo Travis) who all attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School together. Regardless, you get the point; there is nothing but HISTORY and TRADITION behind the name of this high school! I’m here to tell you about a young hooper that is currently at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School following the lead and tradition that his big homies established; Ricky Johnson Jr.
Just because Ricky is from Akron, OH and goes to the same high school that the Fab5 went to, please don’t get it twisted! Ricky has been on the map for years! He created a name for himself as one of the top point guards in the country a long time ago through the AAU circuit; his talent on the court definitely speaks for itself! He’s already been exposed to things that the majority of us never will never get the opportunity in life to do; winning a State Championship for his high school (Sophomore year), traveled the country, competed against the best players in the country, and is even being recruited by colleges all throughout the country. I want you all to take a moment and ask yourself a question. Here are a few different scenarios, so EVERYBODY can relate:
If you’re older than 17, ask yourself: When I was 17, what did I accomplish?
If you are currently 17, ask yourself: “What have I done with my life so far?”
If you are under 17, ask yourself: “What do I want to accomplish when I’m 17 years old?”
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Out of curiosity, I asked Ricky, what was the first thing he noticed in people, and he told me “the way they carry themselves”. My point is… Yes, 17 is a very young age to have made a name for yourself and accomplished many things in life; however when you carry yourself to a certain degree and standard like Ricky said, age is only a number! When you’re on your grind, no one can do anything about it; despite age!
Ricky played for the King James Shooting Stars AAU team this past summer and worked on his game non-stop. With that being said… The SVSM Senior Point Guard knows that he must make this year count! He said going into the season, his goal is to “do anything to make his team better, and win their last game” (in other words-another state championship).
Last, I wanted to know if Ricky had any advice to give to all of the readers of his story, and he told me to tell you all, “Never give up, no matter what!” In my opinion, that’s one of the most important mindsets to posses in life. The concept is simple, but very effective! Pretty strong advice coming from a 17 year old, guess what??… YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO IT!!!!
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As far as what the future holds for Ricky… He plans on attending college and majoring in accounting or somewhere in the world of business. His ultima
