Newton-Conover senior athlete Mackenzie Johnson’s experiencing rarity in sports world

NEWTON – It’s quite an unusual time for sports fans across the globe and an even more atypical time for student-athletes.

Due to this COVID-19 pandemic, the high school spring sports season is quite unique. It’s even more different, to say the least, for Newton-Conover High senior Mackenzie Johnson.

Johnson – a three-sport athlete with the Red Devils – is experiencing such a rarity in her sports career. She is not only missing her entire softball season, but she is also unable to complete her basketball season.

Johnson was set to wrap up her lone high school basketball season with the Lady Red Devils’ varsity squad in the 2A state championship against Farmville Central on March 14. Unfortunately, she had that final game postponed not once but twice due to this crisis.

To add more salt on the wound, Johnson hasn’t been able to set foot on the softball field – a game to which she has played most of her life.

“I have been playing softball as long as I can remember,” said Johnson. “I was 6 (years-old) when I was put on my first real softball team and haven’t stopped playing since. Nothing quite feels like being on a team with girls that you love. I think the thing I love most about softball is the environment of the game, never knowing what is going to happen next and regardless of what happens, knowing your team will be there.

“From the time I was little, I remember my dad telling me I was always going to play sports; from the time I was little, I went from soccer to basketball to softball and finally realized what I wanted to do…In regards to the situation we are in now, there’s not much I can say except how heartbreaking it is, especially being the only senior on the team, I know these are moments I will never be able to experience again.”

During her run with the Lady Red Devils’ varsity softball team, she appeared in 59 games, garnering a .289 career batting average. In 194 at-bats, Johnson earned 56 hits – including seven doubles, two triples and a homer – 31 RBIs, 22 base on balls, 43 runs and five stolen bases.

As an outfielder – mostly playing left field – she obtained an .864 fielding percentage. In 66 chances, she had 43 putouts and 14 assists. Due to her level of play, Johnson has been an All-South Fork 2A Conference player during her career.

Also going through this experience with Johnson is Newton-Conover High junior Grace Loftin. Unlike some of the other local schools, the Lady Red Devils’ softball team didn’t get to compete in a single game before the suspension of play.

Loftin – who is also on the Lady Red Devils’ varsity basketball team with Johnson – has been friends with her for a long time and she was one of the people who convinced Johnson to play basketball for the first time in high school for the 2019-20 season.

“Mackenzie and I have played softball together since we were in elementary school,” said Loftin. “We both played rec ball for Bunker Hill Optimist, so getting to play together in high school has been great. She is so much fun to be around, and she’s always smiling.

“She never fails to make me laugh, and the team and I are so glad that she decided to play basketball this year. Some fond memories I have with her has to be when she would get in the basketball games and make a shot. Not only would the team go crazy, but the crowd would too. Before games when we’re warming up, she would always rebound for me. Playing with Mackenzie has been great, and I’m definitely going to miss her.”

In addition to the aforementioned sports, Johnson has also played volleyball for Newton-Conover.

“Mackenzie is a hard worker,” said Lady Red Devils’ varsity volleyball and softball coach Beth Lane. “She has a lot of spirit and always has a positive attitude. Even though she had little experience in volleyball, she gave it her all and really grew as a player throughout two short seasons. Mackenzie is a leader on the field and on the court, and she is the athlete that every coach wants to have on their team. It has been an absolute pleasure coaching her for four years.”

Johnson has proven that she is more than just an athlete, though. She is also beloved by her peers at Newton-Conover. During the 2019 Homecoming game against West Lincoln, she was crowned its Homecoming Queen. It was an experience she stated she’ll never forget.

“The night I was crowned as queen is most definitely a night I will remember for the rest of my life,” she said. “I was surrounded by so many amazing girls that night that I really did not know I would be the one who ended up with the crown.”

In terms of her softball career at Newton-Conover, though, Johnson said she will miss so many things.

“Regardless of whether our records have shown it, that team has so much heart,” she said. “From practice to games, it’s always go-time. However, I will personally miss the personal relationships I had with each of the girls, as well as the bus rides; nothing compares to getting hype on the way to games.”

Johnson – who has signed to play collegiate softball at Caldwell Community College – said that due to travel-ball she never really has an off-season because she goes to the batting cages and hits every chance she can. During the summer, she plans on playing more travel-ball (if circumstances are good) to better prepare for the collegiate level. She believes the biggest thing that she’ll need to work on is maintaining her arm strength, along with working on her mental game.

Like other student-athletes, she is still hopeful her high school career isn’t over on a sour note.

(Story to be published in Observer News Enterprise’s weekend edition on Saturday, April 25.)