By BRAD HEATH
When you think of Jenks Athletics you probably think football and rightfully so. With 18 gold balls, the Trojan football team is one of the top programs in the country.
The Trojans have 199 total state titles to their credit according to the OSSAA. That’s more titles than Broken Arrow, Union and Bixby combine. With so many athletes competing for the Trojans over the years, it’s impossible to know who should carry the title of “Greatest of All-Time.”
Soccer has its share of greatness, from Will Edwards (two-time Gatorade Player of the Year) and Nayeli Perez, who went on to play at the University of Arkansas, to Ally Ryan, a record setting track star. All worthy candidates.
But for this article I will focus on baseball.
There have been notable players who make it to college and later play professionally. That list includes Tom Hatch, Trey Michalczewski, Dallas Beeler, Mark Ginther and more. For me, one name stands out amongst the rest: Josh Johnson.
Johnson graduated from Jenks High School in 2002 and was set to play for the Sooners before he was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the fourth round. He led the Trojans to two state titles in 2000, and 2002.
Johnson would immediately start his professional career making his way up through the ranks of Single-A and Double-A ball.
The right-handed pitcher made his MLB debut in September of 2005 and would stay with the Marlins until 2012. In 2013 Johnson would spend the season with the Toronto Blue Jays, battling some injuries for most of the season.
The last time Johnson would appear in a Major League Baseball game was on August 6th, 2013. Johnson finished his career with 58 wins to 45 losses and an ERA of 3.40. He claimed 915 strikeouts during his career and was named to the All-Star team twice (2009, 2010). In 2010 Johnson was the National League ERA leader at 2.30. During the 2010 All-Star game Johnson pitched two perfect innings striking out Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki. And it all started at Jenks High School.
There are many names to consider when you have the “who is the greatest” conversation. For me, what Johnson did in high school for the Trojans and what he accomplished in professional baseball, makes him the top Trojan of all-time on the diamond.
Disagree? Shoot us a message and let us know or better yet engage with us in the comments of the story and on social media. Tell me your greatest of all-time is for the Trojans!
