Celina HS kicker tackles adversity on and off the field

This week’s Friday night lights are extra special in Celina as the Bobcats face the Paris High School Wildcats for homecoming. The Bobcats are ranked first in the district and 10th in the state. On Friday, the varsity team hopes to extend their winning streak.

“Paris is a great opponent. You know, we've been playing Paris for quite a while,” said Celina High School athletic director and head football coach Bill Elliott. “They’ve got a very talented team and it'll be a big game. You know, they're playing well. They're ranked in the top 20 of the state.”

Elliott said that having a reliable kicker gives him peace of mind.

“When games are tight and they're crucial, you know that you can get yourself in the position to get down the field. All you've got to get to is, you know, maybe inside the 40 yard line to tie the game or to take a lead in the game to win. So, those are those are huge things for coaches. It gives us little peace of mind."

Kicking things off Friday is senior Braden Johnson, kicker and punter for the Bobcats.

“He’s a great young man. Started out being a soccer player for us,” Eliiott said. “It's his grit, his fortitude, his attitude. That's what's got him through this whole thing."

Angela Johnson

Just two years ago, Johnson’s future in athletics was uncertain due to the serious injuries he sustained during a crash.

“August of 2022, my sophomore year, I was on an electric bike the week before the first (football) game,” Johnson said. “I lost control of the handlebars and got wrapped around a steel post.”

Johnson was on life support for 12 days.

“I completely destroyed my kidney, lacerated my liver, my bladder, broke my back. I had many blood transfusions because I had a lot of internal bleeding going on,” Johnson said. “It was hard, but my goal was to get back on the field. And so, I [was] going to do everything I could to possibly get back on that field.”

“I can remember that day going down to the hospital. And when I saw him in the hospital, to be honest, I really didn't know if he was going to get out of the hospital,” Elliott said.

However, Johnson said his faith and support from his family, friends, coaches, community, and strangers kept him focused on his goal. Within two months, Johnson was back on the field.

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“One day, I'd walk. The next day, I would try to walk even farther, and then I'd jog, run,” Johnson said. “I got back on the field to play soccer just so I could get back in the athletics and get back into running around playing sports.”

“It was amazing,” Elliott said. “It just amazed me that he was able to do that.”

Johnson’s next goal was to make it on the varsity football team for his junior year.

“I love just playing football with my friends. I mean, I have a blast out there. It's awesome,” Johnson said.

Johnson made it on the team and consistently began making points.

"In a big ball game last year against Anna (High School), we got to four overtimes, and he has the kick to get us into overtime. And the coaches actually asked me, 'Are you sure he has proven himself as a kicker yet?' I said, 'You know with what he's gone through with his accident and the grit that he showed, he's going to do it. He's going to be OK.' And he stepped right out there and made that kick. And then the rest is history," Elliott said.

However, this year, just two days before the team’s first game, Johnson’s grit was tested once again.

“I had this last-minute surgery,” Johnson said.

Johnson experienced complications from his 2022 accident and was forced to miss the first three games this year.

“I was very ready for the fourth game. I did everything I could the week before that, preparing to make sure I was mentally and physically ready,” Johnson said. “And I was a little nervous going to that game, but I knew that I had what it took to make all my kicks. And I went 100%. And I'm still 100%. I am 30 for 30 on all my extra points in field goals going into these last four games.”

On Friday, number 13 will take the field again, locked in, and eyes set on the yellow goalpost.

“We plan on going very far in playoffs this year and hoping to win a state championship,” Johnson said. “Coach Elliott and the rest of the coaches here, they're used to winning. So, they really help me up the winning mindset.”

His next goal, Johnson said, is to play college football.

“I know I have what it takes,” Johnson said. “This past summer, I was doing college camps, and I got invited all over the country and getting ready to make my decision on where I want to play college football. So, after the season, I'll see where that takes me. And I know that I will be playing college football next year.”