Darin Johnson Sheldon Basketball SportStar of the Week

Darin Johnson earns prestigious SportStar of the Week honors after stellar performance netting his team the win!

With key Huskies out due to injury and illness, Darin Johnson scored a career-high 42 points in a 97-92 shootout win over Bay Area power Deer Valley-Antioch. He scored 19  in the third quarter alone. His performance out shined Kentucky-commit Marcus Lee in the process.

In Sheldon’s following game, Johnson led the section’s top-ranked team to an 85-79 win over neighborhood rival Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove. He finished with a game-high 28 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. 

SportStars Magazine: What has the acclimation process been like at Sheldon?

Darin Johnson: It’s always a little hard starting something new. I am getting used to the school and the people. On the court, I’m getting used to the pace of play. Plus I think that I am getting very comfortable with the team. Everything’s going smooth now.

SSM: How hard was is having to watch the team from the bench while you waited to be eligible to play?

DJ: It was real hard to sit and watch because you want to be out there with the team. It was tough, ya know? But it also helped me a lot because I was able to see things from the bench. Ant that’s helping me now.

SSM: Do you feel that the team is jelling as you get closer to the playoffs?

DJ: I feel like we are starting to come together and the chemistry is always improving. It’s easy to play with D’Erryl (Williams) and Dakarai (Allen) because they are such unselfish players and can play with anybody. I think that we are getting better every game, but we are not all the way there yet.

HONORABLE MENTION

Tiara Tucker —The Brookside Christian-Stockton junior guard set section and Northern California records in back-to-back games. She scored 63 points in a win over league foe Stone Ridge Christian and then 73 in a league win over Millennium-Tracy.

Isaiah Pineiro —The Placer-Auburn senior scored 22 points for the Hillmen in a 65-43 victory over Lincoln to snap the Zebras’ 13-game winning streak. He followed that by scoring 16 points with 15 rebounds in a win over Foothill-Sacramento.

Stephanie Geyer — The Del Oro-Loomis senior forward had 25 points and 17 rebounds in the Golden Eagles’ 58-53 victory over Nevada Union-Grass Valley to take claim first place outright in the Sierra Foothill League. She averages a team-leading 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest.