Bryan Horton and Zach Johnson are Veterans High School
teammates in both football and baseball. Both are members of the 2013 senior
class and among those who, as sophomores, were put into the mix of starting the
Warhawk athletic program in both of these sports.
In their college plans, Horton is going one way and Johnson
the other. On Friday, athletic director and head football coach David Bruce
along with baseball coach David Coffey brought their student-athletes together
to commemorate Horton’s decision to attend Maryville College in Tennessee and
Johnson’s choice of Piedmont College, both schools members of the USA South
Athletic Conference in NCAA Division III.
Horton played both running back and slot receiver in the
Veterans offense. His highlight moment, though, goes back to that first season
of Warhawk baseball in 2011. Playing left field against Perry High School at
the Panther Pit, he ran full speed and stretched out for a catch that ended an inning
late.
“I was just thinking we needed one more out to close the
inning,” said Horton. “The opportunity just came to me. The guy (Brent Gentry)
hit a nice rope, and I just used my speed to track it down, made an amazing
catch like I love doing. Just dove out and caught it in spread. It was the
greatest feeling.”
Unfortunately for the Warhawks, the feeling didn’t last as
Gentry ended up winning that game for Perry on a walk-off grand slam.
But, for Horton, he’s taking the football path following
graduation. Prior to the 2013 season, Bruce said Horton was a ‘takes a licking
but keeps on ticking’ player.
“I may be all but 5-foot-5, but in my heart and mind I think
I’m 6-6,” said Horton. “So I play to that standard. I won’t let my size hold me
down. I just keep ticking, do what I need to do for the team.
“(2013) was my first time being a running back. I think I’ve
evolved and grown to be pretty decent.”
Bruce often told the Warhawks in huddles about building
something at Veterans High. Horton first heard those words as a sophomore, and
he believes his group has laid a great foundation.
“To build something … not many people have a chance to be
there from the beginning,” he said. “I can come back in probably 10, 15 or 20
years and say I helped start this program. I was there when we weren’t so good.
It’s a great honor.
“If it wasn’t for coach Bruce and coach (Steven) Ruzic
pushing me and telling me don’t let anything hold me down … it’s amazing.”
In 2013, Maryville started its football season 1-3 but
finished at 6-4. Horton said the place feels like “home” to him with good
coaches and facilities.
“I really think they have something good up there,” he said.
“I want to be a part of it. They will probably have me at the slot receiver.
They may put me on the defensive side.”
Horton’s academic goal is to become an engineer. He said
Maryville has a three-year program he is interested in, and his plan is to
complete that and then transfer to a bigger university for two more years of
study.
Since Horton first talked about his favorite baseball
memory, Johnson, the baseball prospect, had the chance to relive his best
football flashback at the outset.
“Definitely, just having that cross-town rivalry with
Perry,” said Johnson. “It was a big, heated game. I loved the crowd. There’s
nothing better than a Friday night football game. I love baseball to death, but
Friday nights, there’s just something different about it.”
High school sports also meant being around great teammates
like Horton for Johnson. Two more of his best friends from the gridiron are
Payton Purvis and Josh Russell.
Johnson said his father, Patrick Johnson, was a big softball
player, so his memories of being on a diamond go back a long way. He said he
started playing a bit late, but feels he progressed pretty quickly.
“I wasn’t as big or as strong as everybody else,” said
Johnson. “But my talents spoke through my play.
“(Piedmont coaches) said I had a good handle on the bat.
They wanted a big hitter who could provide power in the clean-up spot. I knew
it was a great program for me, and it had the degrees I wanted. Everything
seemed to fit.”
That degree is in special education. He said he would like
to work in a school system and eventually coach sports as well.
“Coach Coffey has been a great coach to me since I was in 10thgrade,” said Johnson. “I couldn’t say much more about him.
“In football, nobody’s better than coach Bruce. He’s
old-fashioned, has that notch for the game you love to have from a coach.
“We’re trying to lay a foundation, to say that we have
something for athletics. We’ve had a bunch of signees this past year, and I
think we’ve proven something to people.”
Piedmont’s current baseball season got off to a 4-5 start
through Feb. 20; ironically the Lions hosted the Maryville Scots last weekend
in Demorest. The 2012 team went 26-17, losing out to LaGrange College in the
conference tournament.
While the Lions look for a conference title, Johnson and the
Veterans Warhawks are looking to repeat last season’s region championship
success in 2-AAAA. Johnson said the team goal is to far exceed the Sweet 16
appearance of 2012, when the season ended in a sweep against Cartersville.
“Anything but a state ring for us is a disappointment,” said
the first baseman/designated hitter. “We don’t want to just get to the Sweet
16. We want the whole big thing.”
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