COACH JOHNSON GIVES TWO SENIORS A SENDOFF

In his final act as Conway boys basketball coach, Will Johnson sent off two seniors Thursday at Buzz Bolding Arena. Guards Kendarious Smith, the Cats’ leading scorer who signed with Ouachita Baptist University, and Junior Williams, who signed with Olive-Harvey Community College in Chicago, furthered their basketball careers. Johnson, who resigned March 13 for family reasons, said both players were hard workers. “I’ve been thinking about these guys a lot, and a couple things I could really say about these guys, especially Junior because I’ve had him since eighth grade,” he said. “KD brought it to the table, too, but both of them had a serious work ethic. I think that will carry over into the college game. “Their effort has paid off. They transformed their bodies and have college guard-type bodies. I think they will transition well.” Smith moved from Perryville three years ago and is grateful for the transition to Conway. “This was just a dream,” he said. “I didn’t think I would be here right now. I made the change to Conway after my 10th-grade year. I realized that it could be a dream after the hard work I put in, which God put the strength in me for.” Williams said he clicked with his teammates several years ago. “At the beginning, we were playing 10th-graders and we were third-graders,” he said. “It didn’t make any sense and the people we played was a lot better than us, but it made us a lot better.” Both Smith and Williams thanked God, their teammates, coaches, family and friends for helping them get to signing day.

COACH JOHNSON GIVES TWO SENIORS A SENDOFF

Photo Credit: Log Cabin Democrat