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46 Northwest Arkansas Basketball Sunday, November 4, 2018 Versatile Johnson hopes to lead Jasper to state title J ASPER — There's a presence about Jasper senior forward Sierra Johnson every time she walks onto a basket- ball court. "You can tell she's one of the best players on the court the moment they step out there," said Jasper coach Jeff Lewis. "She just has that look." Maybe it's her loud and constant verbal communication, the physical na- ture of the way she plays or her 6-foot frame that causes opposing coaches to have fits when trying to match up with her. "I feel like I can play inside and out, so if I have a smaller person on me, I'm gonna take them inside," Johnson said. "If I have a big person on me, I'm gonna take them in the lane and go past them." Some people might assume that someone with Johnson's size and strength would be a traditional center — back to the basket, posting up, scor- ing on layups and rebound putbacks. Anyone who watches Jasper play un- derstands that she has many more di- mensions to her game, which was key in leading the program to a state tour- nament berth last season. " G r o w i n g u p , p e o p l e a l way s thought, 'She's the tall girl, so we have to put her inside,' but I didn't necessarily enjoy that because I was a little small," Johnson said. "I just wanted to be a player who could do a little bit of everything." With a 36.5-percent clip from behind the 3-point line, opponents are limited in ways to adequately shut her down when she's hitting. If she's allowed to camp inside, her size creates a clear, classic mismatch that opens up layup opportunities. Leave her space, and she'll make teams pay from deep. "People aren't necessarily excited to play against me, or to guard me or to be in a game with me, and that makes me satisfied," Johnson said. Perhaps Johnson's big- gest moment last sea- son came in Jasper's narrow victory over Kingston in the 1A- 1 Regional cham- pionship. Trailing by a point with 18.3 seconds remaining, the Lady Pirates called a set play to go for the winning shot. The sequence broke down, and she ended up with the ball on the low block. She laid it in for the game-win- ner. Jasper was 31-6 last season but was ousted in the second round by Mount Vernon. Johnson is determined that won't happen again as she sets sights on a career beyond high school. "Anybody on a state championship team has an edge," Johnson said. "I'm keeping my options open; I haven't de- cided anything yet. I just know I want to work hard, have a great senior year, see how it turns out and hopefully be able to pick a school on the collegiate level." ANDREW EPPERSON SPECIAL TO NWA DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE SIERRA JOHNSON SCHOOL Jasper CLASS Senior HEIGHT 6-0 POSITION Forward NOTABLE Helped the Lady Pirates to a 31-6 record last season and the second round of the Class 1A state tournament. … Jasper was undefeated in conference play. … Averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds per game as a junior. … Was named to the All-State team. … Also named to the All- State Tournament team. … Helped Jasper win the Region I-A tournament championship. 'Little bit of everything' C L A S S 1 A NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER