Casey Johnson : Agganis Scholarship Winner

Defense was Casey Johnson's game

Casey Johnson hopes to play football at Harvard, but he also wants to major in economics and run his own business. ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE

By Richard Tenorio / The daily Item

EDITOR'S NOTE: This concludes The Item's series on the 12 Lynn-area Agganis Foundation Scholarship recipients.

LYNN -- In high school, Harry Agganis gained fame for what he could do against opposing defenses. This year, Lynn Classical's Casey Johnson earned an Agganis Scholarship in part through his work shutting down opposing offenses.

Johnson, who is off to Harvard in the fall, will have one more opportunity to showcase his abilities Wednesday when he suits up as a linebacker for the 49th Agganis Football Classic.


"It's really emotional," Johnson said. "I'm going to miss high school football a lot. I hope college football is just as good."

Classical got quite a lot out of Johnson during his career on O'Callaghan Way. He was a captain for coach Tim Phelps' team this past fall and played multiple roles on both sides of the ball.

He was rewarded with acceptance to the oldest college in the nation and a scholarship named after one of the greatest players to come from Lynn.

Defensive dominance

Ask Johnson to explain his strategies on defense and you will quickly realize that he knows the topic very well.

"To stop the run, I usually focus on the lineman, get them to pull and give the play away," he said. "On pass coverage, I focus on the wide receiver, don't let them get by, and force them to where your help is."

Phelps praised his former captain's knowledge of how to play defense.

"He was able to play outside linebacker if we needed him to on the fly and move back to safety," Phelps said. "He's a kid we can do things with, different defenses and schemes. He's mentally good at it, physically too."

Johnson, who described himself as an athletic linebacker, plans to play safety for the Crimson and focus on his speed.

"It's one thing I work on, speed and agility," he said.

Asked why the Crimson coaching staff might be more interested in Johnson's defensive skills than his abilities on offense, Phelps said, "Maybe he has a little better knack for defense ... Defensively, he's being smart. He's an intelligent kid who can pick up all things. He can read what an offense is trying to do ... He's more of a defender for us."

Johnson did accomplish much on offense for the Rams as well. In a close 21-14 loss to conference power Gloucester last fall, Johnson took a pitch and dove over a pile to score a touchdown. His coach also saluted his early-season efforts.

"Certainly at the beginning of the season, he carried our offense," Phelps said. "All throughout the first five or six games, he carried our whole offense. He was our major weapon."

Johnson's roles on offense included playing wide receiver in 2009 and being what Phelps called a "necessity" running back.

The coach also noted that Johnson's talents include leadership.

"I always knew what he brought to the table," Phelps said. "He's not rah-rah. He does everything you ask. He leads by example. He'll pull a kid aside and say, 'You've got to do this.'"

The season ended on a sweet note for Johnson as Classical defeated rival English on Thanksgiving Day. He scored a touchdown and played well on defense. He talks warmly about his high school football days.

"It definitely was exciting," he said. "My best memories were playing football. It had ups and downs but it was very successful. I made friends and had fun. We beat English and it felt good. It was just the way I wanted to end my career at Classical."

Cambridge and Crimson

One date that is significant on Johnson's calendar is Aug. 18 ... the reporting date for Harvard football. (Classes start later, on Sept. 1.) His only view of Soldiers Field, site of the Harvard home games, has been through a car window while driving past it.

"It looks beautiful," he said.

"I knew he wanted to apply to Harvard," Phelps said, noting that Johnson's other college choices included Brown and WPI. "Casey is a very independent, very motivated person."

Johnson did get some guidance during the application process from his older brother Tony, a former Classical football player (they were teammates for two seasons) who now attends Merrimack College.

"We're really close," Casey Johnson said. "We always have been good friends our whole life. He's a role model."

Football-wise, Johnson said he hopes to achieve many things at Harvard, both on and off the playing field.

"It's a great networking thing," he said. "I'll meet a lot of new people, get great exercise, and have a lot of fun."

He enjoyed taking calculus in high school and now plans on majoring in economics at Harvard. He already has at least one friend on campus ... fellow Classical graduate Alex Watler, who is going into his junior year at Harvard.

Beyond college, Johnson said he would like to attend graduate school, such as business school.

Between now and reporting day, he's doing maintenance work at Gannon Golf Course and enduring the heat in Agganis practices.

"We have a lot of water breaks," he said.

Looking back, moving forward

About a month ago, Johnson learned that he had received an Agganis Scholarship. He is grateful for it.

"The scholarship will be very helpful as I go on to college," he said.

Of Agganis himself, Johnson said, "He was a great athlete who did great things after Lynn Classical for the Red Sox and BU. He died tragically at a young age."

Johnson not only has an appreciation for the namesake of his scholarship, he also has fond memories of his hometown of Lynn.

"It's a lot of fun and a great place to be raised," he said. "The Classical-English rivalry's a great thing. I'm glad I was part of it."

 Casey Johnson and Cara Garrity get nod from Harvard

By Rich Tenorio and Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item of Lynn

Classical senior Casey Johnson, an Item football all-star, received good news last Wednesday: He had gotten accepted into Harvard.

"It released a lot of stress," Johnson said on Monday. "I was pretty nervous. I can just relax and finish up the year strong."

Johnson, a 6-1, 190-lb. two-way player for the Rams football team, said he hopes to continue his gridiron career in college.

"It's a much faster game," he said of college football in general. "Everyone is much stronger. Everyone was the best on their team in high school. It's a big change."

At Harvard, he said that he would probably suit up at linebacker should he make the squad. In high school he went up against players who could weigh 300 or 350 pounds.

"I'm not as big as them," he said, "but I think it's more about leverage and position."

Johnson played four positions at Classical: Linebacker, running back, safety and wide receiver. He was a four-year varsity player.

At running back, he said, "I was more power than speed. It comes down to vision, seeing the hole and cutting through it hard."

Classical enjoyed quite a few highlights this past fall, including a victory over Marblehead in which Johnson scored three touchdowns at the end and another win over English on Thanksgiving.

"It was emotional," Johnson said of his final high school football season. "Pretty exciting. We beat English ... We went out on a good note."

He credits his coach, Tim Phelps, with helping him out with the college process. Of the eight schools to which he applied, Harvard was his top choice.

Johnson also had the support of one of his older brothers, Tony, himself a former Classical player who is now on the Merrimack College football team.

"He stayed focused on school and football," Casey Johnson said. "Throughout the application process, he'd tell me to call coaches up, talk to them and meet with people."

Johnson has never been to a Harvard football game, but he has followed the career of fellow Lynner Matt Curtis, an English graduate who went on to excel for the Crimson.

"He was very successful there," Johnson said.

In addition to four years of varsity football at Classical, Johnson played varsity basketball this past season, calling teammate Jasper Grassa "a great leader and basketball player," and varsity outdoor track his first three years. He has also done some community service.

His favorite subject is mathematics, which he said is also his best subject. He is taking calculus this year; he took precalculus and statistics last year. Through Classical, he has made many friends; he also praised the teacher-student relationships.

At Harvard, he would like to study business, although he said he is undecided as of now.

In a sign of the computer-friendly times, his acceptance came first through an email. A letter followed through the mail.

"It's a really good school," he said. "I'll get a good education there, and they have a good football team."

Johnson's acceptance has administrators and coaches at 235 O'Callaghan Way bursting with pride.

Principal Gene Constantino said Johnson is a great kid and a great role model. He said he's known him four or five years, going back to the days he coached him in AAU basketball.

"There probably isn't a more well-liked or well-respected kid in the school," he said. "He quietly goes about his business."

Constantino said Johnson had a lot of people outside the school pulling for him during the application process, including Curtis, who was captain of the Harvard football team his senior year. Constantino said when he heard Johnson was applying to Harvard, he talked to English principal Andy Fila, who helped connect the two.

Constantino said Peter Mazareas of Nahant, a former star basketball player at Classical and a Harvard graduate, was helpful, as was former Classical football coach Matt Durgin, who coached Johnson and whose brother is a Harvard graduate.

"It's great for him and great for the school," Classical athletic director Bill Devin said. "Here's a kid who, when he steps on the football field or the basketball court, you don't have to worry. You know he's always going to represent Classical well."

Phelps was also excited for Johnson.

"It's certainly an honor," Phelps said. "It's nice for him and for the school. He does everything right."

Phelps said Johnson worked hard academically and in terms of doing what he needed to do outside the classroom to get to this point.

"He did this through his own motivation," Phelps said.

Classical boys basketball coach Tom Grassa also had nothing but praise for Johnson.

"He's a spectacular kid," Grassa said. "You would have to search far and wide to find someone who doesn't have something positive to say about Casey Johnson ... He's such a hard worker and he has so much integrity ... He was an absolute pleasure to coach this year."

Johnson's football career at Classical was impressive. He finished the season with 961 total yards, 13 touchdowns and 62 1/2 tackles (32 solo and eight for losses). He had a sack and two interceptions, and he forced a fumble. There's a possibility Johnson will try to make the Harvard football team as a walk-on. He was also accepted to Boston College, Northeastern University, Babson College, UMass-Amherst and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Webmasters Note - Also receiving good news from Harvard is Cara Garrity, another outstanding member of the Classical High School, Class of 2010. Cara has been on this website numerous times over the past few years at Classical. Whether she is leading the Lynn Marching Band, the Jazz Band, turning Grant $$ into Books, running the lighting for the Drama productions, volunteering for the Arthritis Foundation, or staying on top of the High Honor Roll List, Cara is an outstanding student and leader at Classical.

 Girls Inc. Honors 4 Teens with Scholarships

By Robin Kaminski / The Daily Item

LYNN - Four Lynn girls will be recognized for being role models to their peers and will receive scholarships for their hard work and dedication at Girls Inc.'s 22nd annual luncheon on April 15.

Jacklyn Crowley, Ivanna Solano, Phumana Phim and Stephanie Hardy will be honored at the Danversport Yacht Club, where this year's Strong, Smart and Bold Honoree will be Diane Patrick, first lady of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, who is expected to talk about the achievements of women and girls.

Hardy, 17, a junior at Lynn English, has been awarded the top prize with a National Scholarship of $2,500.

"I was shocked to learn that I was chosen," she said.

A member of La Verdad, Part of the Solution, a teen member on the Girls Inc. Board of Directors and a tutor to middle school students, Hardy said she plans to apply to 10 colleges, with Harvard, Stanford, Boston University and Northeastern as her top picks.

"I have big plans for my future," she said. "I love the whole feeling of women empowerment and I never want to rely on a man to take care of me."

Hardy will be inducted into the National Honor Society next week and currently holds a 3.85 GPA. She plans on entering the field of accounting, along with the hope of pursuing a career in politics.

"Girls Inc. has helped me with everything from pubic speaking to working with groups and taking charge, and I use a lot of what I've learned at Girls Inc. for (the ROTC program at Lynn English)," she said.

Crowley, along with Solano and Phim, will each be honored as Girl Heroes and will receive $1,500 scholarships.

Having been active in Girls Inc. for 11 years, Crowley, 17, is currently involved in the mentoring program and as an academic assistant with middle school students.

"They've taught us to be strong, smart and bold and be good role models," she said. "It's an honor to be given this award, not just for the scholarship, but to be recognized as a role model."

The Classical High School senior and hip-hop/jazz dancer has applied to nine colleges and is anxious to see if she will be accepted at her top choice, Harvard, to pursue a career as a doctor.

"It's sad to think that I won't be here anymore, but I definitely want to come back and be part of the mentoring program in the future," she said.

Solano, 17, also a senior at Classical High, has been involved with Girls Inc. for three years. During that time, Solano said she has learned vital skills to overcome her shyness and become more comfortable in her own skin.

She takes part in the Part of the Solution youth council, mentoring and the teen health ambassador program.

"The staff encourages you to believe in yourself and they always say, 'You can do it' and prep you so well," she said. "It's definitely a great honor to win this award."

Solano said she has applied to a number of schools, including Pace University and Drexel, and plans to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Phim, 20, a native of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, recently moved to Lynn with her parents, and said she has grown immensely during her time at Girls Inc.

"I'm a shy person and I was able to get help learning English and meeting new friends," she said. "I'm the first generation to go to school, so my parents are really happy for me."

Phim has applied to 10 colleges, including Merrimack College and plans to pursue a career in accounting. She is currently involved with the academic and mentoring programs at Girls Inc., and plays volleyball at Lynn English.

"I am so excited that I'm getting this award," she said. "I couldn't believe it."

For 67 years, Girls Inc. has been offering programs for girls that teach about issues of sexism, racism, the prevention of early sexual activity, underage drinking, and drug use. Teens also learn about career choices, college admissions, and other post-secondary opportunities, with access to academic workshops, tutoring, a computer lab and adult mentors.

Tickets to the April 15 luncheon are $60 and are available by visiting www.girlsinclynn.org and clicking on "Celebration Luncheon."

English should accept its punishment from the MIAA

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item, 2/25/10

Although Lynn English principal Andy Fila has indicated that he plans to appeal last week's recommendations that resulted in basketball coach Buzzy Barton's suspension for the tournament and the first 10 games of next season, he hasn't yet, according to MIAA assistant Dick Baker.

That might be because Fila isn't due to return home from Florida -- where he's been on vacation since before the Feb. 12 hearing with committees from District A and B over the whole issue of recruiting -- until today. Baker says the school has until Tuesday (seven business days from the day the recommendations were released) to issue an appeal. By then, the Bulldogs' season will be either over or they'll be preparing for a Division 1 North semifinal game (that all depends on how the team does Friday against Lexington in the quarterfinal).

If I were Fila, I'd skip the appeal, however unjust I thought the recommendations were. The committees decided unanimously that English violated Rule 44 of the MIAA handbook (which deals with improperly approaching players for the purposes of recruiting them to play sports). It also decided unanimously to limit the punishment to Barton's suspension, when it could have applied the full weight of the statute -- which puts the offending school on probation, making it ineligible for any postseason play, for a full calendar year.

The committees did this because East Boston headmaster Michael Rubin -- who filed the complaint after one of his students (Cory McMillan) transferred to English -- asked the group of principals and athletic directors to go easy on the players and hold the administrators accountable. That is what the committees did.

But the MIAA could very well invoke its intended penalty if pushed. It has the right to either uphold the recommendations, overturn them, or change them altogether. I wouldn't want to take that risk.

First, it's doubtful the MIAA would overturn a unanimous decision reached after English (without Fila present) had ample opportunity to explain itself. What new facts can Fila present that weren't already introduced at the hearing? And if they weren't introduced, then why weren't they?

Second, it would seem, with a 7-0 decision on the question of whether English improperly enticed McMillan to change schools, the committees thought the infraction was pretty blatant (Fila disagrees, but obviously the principals and ADs who heard schools' explanations think otherwise).

Third, the group called for English assistant Simmie Anderson to be banned indefinitely from coaching anywhere in high school sports.

This does not indicate doubt on the part of the committees.

As to the degree of Barton's culpability, the committees wrote in their decision that by nature of his being the head coach, the buck stops with him. The MIAA cannot suspend principals and other school officials (though it did reprimand Fila) so its only recourse -- short of barring the team from participating -- was to go hard on the coach. This in no way singles him out (nor should anyone get the idea that he's being singled out).

And even if some might think the additional 10 games is like piling on, perhaps that's the committees' way of expressing their extreme displeasure over this matter. Nobody likes it. But, again, at least the Bulldogs are playing tomorrow night.

This season, four of English's players -- three of whom play a major role on the team -- are transfers. Two are from Lynn, one from Brookline and one has bounced back and forth between the city and the Dominican Republic.

Two more -- including McMillan -- transferred into the school but could not obtain permission, either by their former schools or the MIAA, to play. Now ... consider how small basketball rosters are.

If anything good comes out of all this, perhaps superintendent Catherine Latham will work with English AD Gary Molea and others (as the MIAA has directed) to make it a priority to institute workable guidelines governing transfers within the entire school system and beyond.

Let's hope so.

Steve Krause is sports editor of The Item.