Oswego East Student-Athlete of the Week-Zach Johnson

Sophomore Zach Johnson followed his older brothers, AJ and Ryan, in competing on the hardwood for the Wolves basketball team. However, unlike his brothers, Zach is also pursuing the game of golf. Having only begun seriously playing in the summer of 2021, and being introduced to the game by his grandfather, Zach is already excelling in the sport with the lowest 9-hole average on the team. His willingness to work as hard as possible, his mental toughness, and the energy he puts into being a positive teammate, are why he is this week’s Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Growing up, basketball has been a staple of the Johnson house. “Zach has been around basketball his whole life, watching his brothers AJ and Ryan, and started playing as soon as he could walk,” says Rodney and Susan Johnson, Zach’s parents. Unlike his older brothers, Zach had most recently found another passion for golf, and realized pretty quickly it was a sport in which he could excel.

Bob Mattingly, Zach’s grandfather, is a former high school coach and an active member of the park district board and community, as well as a fixture at Fox Bend golf course. “Zach’s grandpa introduced him to the game, and from there his love of the game grew,” says Susan and Rodney. They go on to add, “They go to the golf course two or three times a week, and Zach enjoys hanging out with him and learning from all the experience and knowledge he has to offer.”

That experience and mentoring helped Zach realize golf was a sport he could not only play for fun but also compete with his peers. “When I started playing with other people and realized I was scoring lower than them, I realized it was something I could be good at and started practicing even more,” says Zach.

As a freshman at OE, Zach was a member of the JV team, but head coach Jim Vera knew Zach was someone who would become a valuable member of the varsity moving forward. “As a freshman, Zach won multiple tournaments at the JV level, including the Freshman/Sophomore SPC tournament,” says Jim. He continues by adding, “The coaching staff knew he was talented, and arguably could have come up to play in the post-season tournaments for the varsity, but we did not want to put a ton of pressure on a freshman at the end of a very successful season. It was not an easy decision, but we knew he would be one of our top varsity players coming into this year.”

Zach has not only lived up to his coach's expectations but is exceeding them as a member of the varsity team this season. His 9-hole average is 38.5, which is the team’s lowest average, and he shot a 79 at the State Course in Bloomington earlier this season.

Along with talent, Zach brings energy and camaraderie to his team. “Zach is very well-liked by his teammates, and the seniors have formed a strong bond with him,” says Jim. He adds," I think they respect his talent, obviously, but more importantly, they respect his work ethic and how much time he puts into his game during the off-season.”

English and Social Studies teacher Cody Fleming taught Zach twice during the day during his freshman year, giving him a unique opportunity to watch as Zach grew as both a person and student. “Zach’s best qualities as a person are that he always has a positive attitude and can communicate effectively with anyone. I think his attitude and ability to work with anyone are essential to any career, and Zach will be able to collaborate with others as well as work independently to be successful in any career he chooses.”

Being a two-sport athlete in basketball and golf requires different athletic skills and mental toughness, something Zach relishes. “I like the difference in both sports where my mistakes tend to be more team-oriented or individual. Both help me build my mental toughness,” says Zach.

As only a sophomore, Zach is still unsure where he would like to go to college or his anticipated major, but has his sights set on playing athletics in college. In regards to what he learned during his first year at East, and the advice he would give future Wolves, Zach says, “Try as many different clubs and sports as you can because there are a lot of options at Oswego East.” As a multi-sport athlete, Zach is an example of how trying multiple sports, especially ones that are so different, can help mold and shape young people into well-rounded individuals, and if history is any indicator, Zach will continue to push himself to be the best athlete, student, and person possible.