For Moon Senior, Success Comes in Classroom, on Court

Coraopolis fitness trainer Bob Magle said it’s hard to describe his client, graduating Moon Area High School senior Aaron Johnson, in just a few words.

“He’s an extremely gracious individual; he’s a super kid,” said Magle, manager of Ballistic Fitness Training. “He’s got work ethic, he’s got motivation, he’s got desire, he’s got discipline, and those are the things a lot of kids lack today.”

When you take a look at Johnson’s basketball statistics line, it runs a little something like this: He's the 6-foot-4-inch senior forward who finished his tenure with the school’s basketball team with 1,626 points and 940 rebounds.

He's also the accomplished academic, an advanced-placement student with a 5.0 GPA.

Tonight at the ’s commencement ceremony, Johnson will be featured as a distinguished speaker, an honor he earned because of his classroom accomplishments.

Even Moon’s assistant basketball coach Eric Thompson knew that basketball wasn’t everything to Johnson. He said selecting a college for Johnson is more about what will happen in the classroom than on the basketball court.

“His academics are going to come first,” Thompson said. “It’s just the way he is. His head is on so straight.

Johnson’s leadership on the basketball court equals his leadership in the classroom.

“He’s not the most vocal kid, and that’s who he is; that’s fine,” Thompson said. “He leads by example. We knew every game we could put Aaron Johnson down for 20 or 25 points and 13 or 14 rebounds, and that’s his style of leadership, consistency and work ethic.”

Magle sees that work ethic, too.

“He worked his butt off,” Magle said. “He worked and worked and worked; he listened and paid attention. He didn’t have the natural talent like some of these kids had. So whatever he got, he earned.”

On the court, Johnson’s game is tough to classify. His stature might be plenty big for the average person, but on the court, Aaron sometimes faces players who are 4 inches taller.

That’s where Magle came in.

“His strength has gone through the roof with this training program,” Magle said. “He was pushing around kids that are 6-foot-8 inches and 6-foot-6 inches.

"He's big, but he needed to be strong to win," Magle said. "That's where our training came in."

Thompson said Johnson’s versatility is what most made him an asset to the team.

“Aaron really doesn’t have a mold,” Thompson said. “He is both a bruiser and a skill guy. He’s able to bang, but he’s also able to step out and knock down a 3-point shot no problem. Aaron gave us whatever we needed.”

Thompson said Johnson's parents could always be found sitting at center court, right across from the home bench, cheering on their son at games. Johnson's father, Gil, played basketball for the University of Pittsburgh in 1989.

"Aaron's dad was playing against him [in a showcase game]," Thompson said. "Aaron went up for a layup and drove right past his dad, and you could see the affection and love the kid had for his father, just by his smile. It was awesome.

Johnson has faced some adversity in his career.

After spending the summer before his junior year perfecting his game for the upcoming season, an ankle injury derailed Johnson.

“A football kid was trying out for the team and took a dive for a ball at practice,” Magle said. “He rolls Aaron’s ankle, out for the season.”

After working through the injury with Magle, Johnson was back on the court for his senior year. Magle expects to see Johnson even after he graduates.

“All these college kids come back [during] spring break and stuff,” Magle said. “I let them work for free. I don’t charge them or anything, and they just do wonderful.”

Thompson said Clarion University offered Johnson a full scholarship. Johnson also has expressed an interest in attending Duke and Georgetown, among other universities.

“Aaron was always ready to go; he always gave us a security blanket,” Thompson said. “He made me a very good assistant coach. I would just say, ‘Throw the ball to Aaron,’ and he’d usually come through.”

Even as his days playing for Moon have come to end, Johnson’s future still looks bright.

“He has all the things you need to be a successful athlete and a successful human being,” Magle said.