Johnson, Brandon That Is, Makes Name For Himself

Finally, it was Brandon Johnson's day to shine as a Montville High athlete.

The Indians' junior breezed to the Eastern Connecticut Conference 110-meter high hurdles title at the conference track and field championship meet Saturday at MHS. He also ran a leg on the victorious 4x100 meter relay. It was a major day for one of the most underrated athletes in the ECC, a player not only overshadowed in his own school but also in his own house.

Johnson started at wide receiver for Montville's powerhouse football team as a junior last fall. He didn't catch many passes, because the Indians featured 2,000-yard rusher Tyler Girard-Floyd and 900-yard back Skyler McNair. When the Indians passed, brother Bobby Johnson, headed to Division I Sacred Heart University with a scholarship, was the primary target.

There was only one football, so despite all of his speed and athleticism, Brandon Johnson served the unglorious duty of blocking receiver.

"It was a little bit frustrating, but you get what you can," Brandon said. "My brother is going DI, so he was the top target. I knew I had talent but I had to wait my turn."

Johnson got a taste of limelight during indoor track, winning the ECC Medium-Small Division 55-meter dash. But Saturday, he cemented All-Area status with a 15.2 run in the 110 highs against all ECC competition.

"One of the things I like about track is you get to do your own thing," Johnson said. "Nobody can stop you except you. It feels really good to be considered the best in the ECC. Kids from other teams come up to me and ask for tips on how to get the form right for hurdles. It feels good."

Johnson also finished fourth in the 300 intermediate hurdles, accounting for 24 points in Montville's strong third place finish (71 points) to ECC champ and state power Norwich Free Academy and Large school East Lyme. Older brother Bobby Johnson also enjoyed a big day, winning the 200 meters, anchoring the 4x100, running down NFA's touted Anthony Facchini in the final leg, and finishing second in the 100 meters by an eyelash to teammate Dan Santos.

The ECCs proved to be a banner afternoon for all Montville sprinters and hurdlers. Junior Shatajah Watteley pulled off an amazing triple, winning the 100, 200 and 400 meter runs to key the Indians' fourth-place finish in the girls' meet.

"It's been a good day with a lot of distractions because we have our prom tonight and a lot of kids left the meet early," MHS girls' track coach Joel Finnigan said. "Shatejah did the 100, 200, and 400 which is physically a tough thing to do. She's a talented runner and hard worker."

Ironically, Montville's boys and girls still have unfinished business to determine ECC Divisional titles after the ECC Championship Meet. Because of rainouts, the Bacon at Montville boys' and girls' meet Wednesday will decide the Medium title. The Indians girls have won three straight ECC Mediums.

"The girls have won 19 straight Medium meets and the seniors have never lost in division," Finnigan said. "NFA has three times the number the kids we have and has a fantastic program on the state level, but we're focused on winning the Medium division."