Springfield senior Carli Johnston, pictured scoring a layup in a game last season, has been a force on the defensive end for the Cougars. Photo by: Digital First Media
By Matt Smith
Never one to garner a ton of hype on a basketball court, Carli Johnston has been an underrated, blue-collar player at Springfield throughout the years.
Johnston, a senior forward/guard who does all the tough jobs for the Cougars, has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. She doesn’t score a whole lot or grab headlines with her play, but she has helped win a lot ofgames at Springfield, even if her performances can go unnoticed.
Johnston is an exceptional defensive player and rebounding machine. She will stalk the opposing team’s best player, box out under the rim and fight for loose balls. Her game is all about toughness and grit.
Without her, Springfield (22-5) probably isn’t playing Saturday to try to win a second District 1 Class 5A championship. When the No. 1 Cougars tip-off with third-seeded Great Valley of the Ches-Mont League at Temple’s Liacouras Center at 1 o’clock, Johnston will be in the starting lineup. Webmaster’s note: The District One – 5A Girl’s Basketball Championships on February 29th will be audio broadcast LIVE right here on Delcohoops.com!
“All of my hard work on the defensive end is finally paying off,” Johnston said following the Cougars’ victory over Mount St. Joseph in the semifinal round Tuesday. “And to help on the other side of the floor, that was great, too. But winning this game, that’s what was most important because we have been working so hard all season long to get here. We wanted to go to the finals.”