Greenway receiver headed to Hastings
This is No. 11 in a month-long series of profiles of Arizona high school seniors that signed with four-year colleges. Here's the full list (currently totaling 276) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.
SPOTLIGHT: 2/17/23
Many football players are encouraged to take up a second sport. It fuels competition, uses different muscles to lessen injuries, creates versatility to possibly play other positions, and simply become well-rounded.
One of those multiple-sport athletes playing at a high level is Matthew Johanson.
The 6-1, 180-pound wide receiver at Greenway earned Second Team All-4A Skyline Region Honors at the offensive utility/flex position. Johanson has also played for the championship in singles tennis the past two springs. In December, he committed to Hastings College in Nebraska.
"Hastings is an amazing fit for me academically and sportswise," Johanson said in an e-mail interview. "It provided me with an opportunity to play both sports, access to the lifting coach, and getting deep in my understanding of human anatomy."
Hastings' coaches first got a look at Johanson when he competed at a camp there last June. The next day, he visited the campus and enjoys the culture.
"(Head) Coach (Matt) Franzen and Coach (Kyle) Suttles were readily available and truly helpful in providing assistance to improve my game," Johanson said. "The weightlifting room is pretty much state-of-the-art and is something I am looking forward to using every day."
Johanson led Greenway in all three receiving statistical categories with 40 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. In two years on varsity for the Demons, he scored 16 touchdowns (13 receiving) plus a couple two-point conversions for an even 100 points. Talented in other areas, he did some kicking in 2021 and scored eight extra points. He also punted for last season's team.
Johanson just recently had a birthday and turned 17. This is just his third year of high school. He carries a 4.4 GPA and decided to reclassify from the '24 class to 2023. He enjoys playing both sports at a high level and being in class all day make it harder to do so.
"The hours at school and tennis tournaments don't work well together," Johanson said. "I had to take my education into my own hands. Seeing my brother, who is playing college football at Grinnell, just helped me to seal my decision to graduate earlier and pursue my dream."
Kevin Johanson, a defensive back, is two years older than Matthew and graduated from GHS last year. The two played together on varsity and both crossed the end zone in a win over Moon Valley.
The end of February brings the beginning of varsity tennis season and Johanson is getting ready for that. As a team, Greenway went 11-3 last year in AIA dual matches. Communication between the coaches at the college level is important. Hastings has an undergraduate enrollment of just 1,200.
"I am planning on continuing to be a two-sport athlete at Hastings, too," Johanson said. "The football coaches and tennis (Head) Coach (Josh) Sodorff were helpful in that decision and assured me that this is the correct path for me at Hastings."
One of the workouts that Johanson does in his free time is Olympic lifting. He'll practice with some 225-pound cleans and 245-pound split jerks. This does help him in both sports.
"I am a bit of an exercise science freak and even have an anatomical skeleton in my room," Johanson said. "While I do not compete in Olympic lifting, I believe it increases my athleticism for tennis and football."
After four straight winning seasons on the football field, it was a tough 2022 for Greenway. The Demons finished 2-8. It was a young team that had several sophomores getting varsity experience early. Johanson said he'll miss his teammates and coaches at GHS.
"(Head) Coach (Ed) Cook and the team were in the middle of rebuilding, and I am sad I won't be able to see how it turns out," Johanson said. "I also will miss wide receiver coach (Duane) Perez, who became an amazing friend and our trainer, Ron (Kordonowy), who kept me playing."
Hastings added 26 new recruits on National Signing Day. Four of those played high school ball in Arizona. The Broncos had a big improvement last year going from 2-8 to 7-4. It marked the first winning season for the program since 2014 and first seven-win season since 2009. Hastings is a member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (NAIA).
Johanson is getting a chance to play at an elite level on a college scholarship for both football and tennis. He had some people he wanted to extend gratitude to.
"I would like to say special thanks to my Mom and Dad, who were always there for me through every misstep and win, through every decision, through every game," Johanson said. "They are the reason I stuck with two sports and am so glad I did. And I am so glad Coach (Lou) Perrone found Hastings. Without him, I would never have been introduced to Coach (David) Waldron, the Arizona recruiter, or looked there."
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