He wanted to go away an amateur and come home a pro.
He wanted to be that guy. THE guy. The superstar who played in THE primetime Saturday night college games for a few years before getting the BIG professional contract in the N-F-L.
It was the same “dream-come-true” scenario other OVAC student/athletes had pulled off before, and Wheeling Park High’s Daryl “Boogie” Johnson’s post-graduation plans included going away to Oklahoma State to become the next best Tim Spencer or Joey Galloway.
That did not happen. Knee. Collarbone. Knee. Done.
And then back home to go to work, and these days “Boogie” is a paraprofessional who works with children on the spectrum for Ohio County Schools and is the running backs coach for head coach Chris Dougherty and his Patriots’ program. He held the same position when his older son, Savion, led Wheeling Park to the school’s first Class AAA state title in 2015, and Johnson now is coaching his youngest, Amare, and he just so happens to be a running back, too.
The training recipe for an athlete to gain strength and increase agility and endurance calls for only a couple of ingredients – dedication, and determination – as well as a ton of instruction, and that’s where “Boogie” comes in, now isn’t it?
Well, that’s just because all Johnson wants, you see, is for Amare, and for all the kids he coaches, to have THAT chance to go away an amateur and come home a pro.
Should Wheeling’s three high schools compete against each other in football? And other sports?
Of course, I want the three teams to play. It’s not up to me, but I definitely wouldn’t mind them playing.
At the same time, I definitely understand the point system in football would only hurt us at Park. If we win, well, we are supposed to win, and people around the state will say why are you playing a Class A School (even though we know in the Northern part of the state, it’s bragging rights).
If we lose, people immediately would say, ‘I can’t believe you lost to a Class A school’ …
So, it’s a win-win, especially for Linsly and Central, but there’s not a lot in it for Wheeling Park when it comes to football.
But all of the other sports? Definitely.
Knowing everything you know now, what would you do differently as a prep athlete?
I would have probably tried to go to some one-day camps when I was in high school, but the only problem with those camps is this – if you don’t run a 4.4, sometimes it’s hard to get noticed when there are 400-500 kids.
My recruiting went as well as it could considering I was coming from West Virginia.
I would have worked harder in the classroom, too.
What kind of candy do you eat the most?
My favorite candy, which is not actually candy, is Luden’s Wild Cherry Cough Drops!
As a coach, how have parents changed over the last 20 years?
These parents are insane compared to back in the day. The parents don’t have any patience and it gets in their own kids’ heads. Every kid now thinks they are supposed to start as freshmen in all sports! Whether their son or daughter is ready or not …
What is the secret to winning a Class AAA state championship in football?
Winning a state title in AAA is tough to do. You have to have talent; you have to have luck on your side also. When I say luck, I mean staying healthy with the ball bouncing the right way at the right time.
The team has to have love for each other as Wheeling Park’s 2015 team did. When teams start getting to being individuals instead of a team, it causes jealousy among players.
That could ruin your championship dreams, too.
