State tourney has been a Johnson family tradition but will be more special this year with Jasper Johnson playing

Woodford County sophomore Jasper Johnson, a top 30 player nationally, basically grew up going to the state tournament. (Rosetta Johnson Photo)

Jasper Johnson has been going to the high school state basketball tournament to watch games as long as he can remember.

Today the Woodford County sophomore gets his chance to play in the tourney when the 8th Region champions take on Jeffersontown at 11 a.m. in the opening game of the event.

Jasper Johnson would go to the state with his grandparents, Rosetta and Alvis Johnson, along with his brother and father.

His father, Dennis Johnson, is Woodford’s football coach/athletics director and is also a former all-SEC defensive lineman at Kentucky who played in the NFL. Dennis Johnson also played in the 1996 state tourney when he was a three-sport star at Harrodsburg High School.

“I have been going to the state since I was probably 6 or 7 years old. My parents would take me out of school and me and (brother) Derrick would go. We got a hotel room. That’s when the tournament was at Freedom Hall (in Louisville) when we started going and it was like a mini-vacation for us,” Dennis Johnson said.

“Then my mom and dad started taking him (Jasper) and Skylar (Dennis’ older son) to the Sweet 16. Mom and dad probably did not miss a tournament for 25 or 30 years.”

Alvis Johnson not only was the football coach, track coach and athletics director at Harrodsburg but he was also heavily involved with the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.

“Dad usually has eight tickets to the tournament every year but this was the first year he gave them all up but two,” Dennis said. “Now we have some family members also coming in but he got it worked out to where he has tickets in the same section at the end of the court he’s had. Some tickets will be on the other side but that’s fine.”

The Johnsons stayed at a downtown Lexington hotel Tuesday night and KHSAA officials have a spot for Alvis Johnson’s wheelchair at the end of the court.

“Even if I had not got it worked out, he would have found a way to be there,” Dennis Johnson said about his dad. “When Jasper gave him his 8th Region MVP trophy, he shed a few tears. He said what enjoyment he gets now is not financially but from seeing and watching his grandkids.”

Jasper said his grandparents are “really proud” of him. Dennis said his father is more “hands-off” with Jasper and just wishes him luck.

“My dad told me just to keep working and we have a chance to do something special,” Jasper Johnson said.

Dennis Johnson took the Woodford basketball team to Rupp Arena to watch 8th Region champion North Oldham play.

“I wanted them to look and see what could have been for them,” Dennis said. “It’s the dream of every kid in Kentucky to get here and play in the state. This is the Super Bowl for high school basketball.

“This is great for our community. We are going to have a big following. We sold our tickets out pretty quickly and everybody is really excited. I know my parents are very excited. So am I. Jasper and his teammates are, too. It’s just special for everybody.”