Johnson gives Mustangs go-to target at receiver

Central Arkansas Christian Coach Tommy Shoemaker appreciates having Josh Johnson's presence in the Mustangs program.

Johnson, who has orally committed to Iowa State, has received the attention of several NCAA Division I coaches over the past two years. Programs such as Alabama and Oklahoma State have visited Mustang Mountain in North Little Rock, taking a look at the Mustangs' top offensive weapon.

"When you have an Alabama coach in there while you're working out, you're probably working a little harder," Shoemaker said. "Josh has handled it really well. I've been really pleased with the way he's stepped up as a leader. He's always had a great work ethic. He's takes everything to heart, making himself the best he can be."

Johnson, 6-0, 170 pounds, caught 79 passes for 1,236 yards and 7 touchdowns last season as a junior. He helped lead CAC to the 2-4A Conference championship last season. CAC went 11-2 and lost to Pea Ridge in the Class 4A quarterfinals 3-0 in overtime in heavy rainfall at Mustang Mountain.

A week before CAC's season-ending loss to Pea Ridge, Johnson caught 12 passes for 247 yards and 1 touchdown in the Mustangs' 41-14 second-round victory over Gosnell.

"That was my best game," Johnson said.

Johnson and his CAC teammates are playing this weekend in the Shootout of the South 7-on-7 tournament at the Mighty Bluebird Complex in Little Rock.

A key component to Johnson's success is senior quarterback Noah Evans, who passed for 2,788 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season.

Evans said that even if Johnson is a safety valve in a certain play, he's still reliable.

"He's going to do his best to catch it and get open," said Evans, who has played with Johnson since the seventh grade. "He's really talented. He's really fast. He runs really sharp routes. He knows what he's doing. He's a really smart football player."

Last year, Johnson had committed to Indiana in the Big Ten. But in April, Johnson had a change of heart and chose the Big 12's Iowa State.

When asked why he switched, Johnson said he listened to his heart.

"The offense at Iowa State fits me much better," Johnson said.

New Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell coached Toledo, the team that beat Arkansas 16-12 in Little Rock last season, for four seasons. Johnson said that he was impressed by Toledo's victory and when Iowa State and Campbell recruited him earlier this year, that Little Rock game was a factor.

"I remember how much they threw the ball at Toledo," Johnson said. "I fell in love with the coaching staff."

CAC returns seven starters each on offense and defense. Johnson believes his senior season could go into the second weekend of December, when the Class 4A state championship game is.

"We're working hard," Johnson said. "I think we've got a better team than last year. We're really trying to come to take state this year."

Sports on 06/18/2016