The road trip to the state capitol proved worthwhile for Mater Dei High School as the boys and girls basketball teams took home the California State title. For California’s all-time winning head coach Gary Mcknight, it marked a record ninth state crown.
With big man Xavier Johnson and point guard Eli Stalzer headed to Colorado and sharpshooter Katin Reinhardt bound for UNLV, the Monarchs will have a lot of production and leadership to replace next season.
Enter Stanley Johnson. At 6’7 205, the sophomore sensation is primed to assume the leadership role and pilot the Monarchs to a potential third straight title next season.
In his first two years, Stanley thrived for Mater Dei and was a pivotal variable to their championship success.
Stanley was kind enough to share his thoughts with CLA about the Monarchs historic accomplishment and his expectations moving forward.
Johnson provided a glimpse into the Monarchs journey up to Sacramento and their approach leading up to the big game.
“We drove. On the ride up it was pretty relaxed. We were just messing around like always. I think we got more serious on Saturday morning after team breakfast and lunch. We had a team dinner right before the game. Everyone was really focused. We had practice that day and I was really focused. We all knew we had a chance to make history for Mater Dei.”
Stanley and Mater Dei made history that night, crushing Sheldon (Sacramento) 66-48 to claim their second straight state title. The Monarchs were led by a record setting performance from senior Katin Reinhardt, who drilled six three-pointers and finished with 30 points despite an injured shooting hand. Stanley added 21 points for Mater Dei.
Stanley was clearly impressed with Reinhardt’s performance.
“That was a tribute to Katin’s career at Mater Dei. I think that it was his best game of the year. I’m glad he ended it on his best performance of the year. This was the game we needed really to complete our season. For him to come out and show he was the best player on the court is huge.”
Johnson was inspired and motivated from the dominating effort put forth by the Mater Dei girls, who defeated Berkeley 57-40 to take home their third straight State Title.
“Watching the girls game…I mean at our school that’s our thing, you don’t want to be the only team losing. I kind a figured the girls would win. They’ve always won since I got there and before I got there. They have won more games than the boys have. I don’t wanna go to the hotel losing with my head down,” said Johnson.
Last summer, Johnson took home the gold as a member of the USA Under 16 squad. Stanley relishes the opportunity to go overseas again this summer.
“I accepted the invitation to go back in June to play again and I enjoy playing overseas. I enjoy playing for my country in general because I think I owe that back to the USA to show that we’re good in basketball, men’s basketball especially. I enjoyed FIBA, it was a nice experience for me playing overseas. It’s made it easier for me to play in big games. All I can remember is when I was overseas playing in my first game and the refs weren’t even speaking English and the courts were different. The players weren’t speaking English, everything was communicated with a smile or a hug or hand signs. There were 13 of us. It was different. I liked it a lot, actually.”
Heading into next season, Stanley is embracing the challenge of being the leader.
“It’s going to be something different for me as a player. My first year at Mater Dei I was learning as a basketball player. I had somebody there to guide me through, teach me stuff and to just be there for me…Katin mostly, outta here. I learned a lot from them, a lot from Coach McKnight and JQ. We talked about it today. I’m ready for the task.”
Stanley reflected on the gauntlet laid down by Coach McKnight.
“He was telling me…we had our first practice of the spring, no X, no Katin, no Eli…Now this is your team. We need you to be everything. We need you to lead, score and rebound. There’s no excuse. We need you to be Katin…We need you out there playing. We need you to be that person that steps up and be a leader and also a captain. Lead by example and not only your voice.”
“They asked me if I wanted to do it, and of course I said yes,” said Johnson.
CLA certainly expects Johnson to excel in this role for the Monarchs and lead them to big things next season. Not surprisingly, Stanley is being heavily courted by several big time programs throughout the country. Projecting forward, Johnson expects to play on the perimeter.
“They just tell me I’ll be on the wing. I’ll be their wing slasher. Just a flat out scorer. Most programs tell me that. They like that I can post up and I know how to use my body in the post but they see me playing the wing for them, they don’t see me playing the post.
“I like playing the wing. I’ve really worked on my sets to play the wing more than the post, anyway. In high school, being one of the biggest guys on the court, you have to adjust what your team needs to win. So that’s what I’ve done at Mater Dei,” said Johnson.
One thing is clear, any program interested in landing Johnson must be a legitimate national title contender as Stanley values winning over personal awards.
“I’m definitely going to put myself in a position to win. I like winning. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole high school career. Well…from the Soldiers (AAU team) to Mater Dei and I’m definitely going to want to pick a college that’s headed to win the NCAA Championship at the beginning of the season. I’m not all about personal goals. I’m all about winning. I feel more complete when winning games. I’m not saying I won’t go to a building program, but I’d like to win while I’m there,” said Johnson.
CLA looks forward to following Stanley Johnson’s ascension to greatness. With Johnson leading the way, Mater Dei will surely be a force to reckon with for the next two years as they strive for a 10th State Title.
