South Oak Cliff’s playoff run came to a disappointing end Friday night in a 31-14 loss to Ennis in the Regional Finals. The Golden Bears team features a squad loaded with division one prospects including two Texas Longhorn commitments, running back Jordan Stevenson and defensive back Jamile Johnson. We were able to catch up with Johnson after the emotional loss and he was kind enough to answer some questions.
“The season was just phenomenal, we made history and gave it everything we got†Johnson said referencing the fact that South Oak Cliff had not advanced this deep into the playoffs since 1978. While Johnson was proud of his team he was able to be critical of their performance tonight. “This loss just came back to all the bad things we did, all the downfalls. It just came back to discipline at the end of the dayâ€. Johnson recorded an interception late in the game in what would be his last play at the high school level and mentioned that it would be memorable.
With the deep playoff run South Oak Cliff has had, Johnson’s plans to visit Austin were inevitably delayed. The South Oak Cliff duo of Johnson and Stevenson, have scheduled their visit to the 40 Acres for January. Johnson is excited to get to Austin and be part of the Charlie Strong defense. “I love the excitement and intensity that they have. That’s a defensive team, the offense might struggle a little bit but defense is the backbone of Texasâ€.
Johnson was a one time Oklahoma commitment who then switched to North Carolina before pledging his commitment to the Longhorns. His lead recruiter is tight ends coach Bruce Chambers, and Johnson says he has no doubts about his decision. “I’m 100% firm, it’s a re-building process. The 2015 class is on our way to make something happenâ€. Johnson has the ability to play either corner or safety, and his physical style will match the intensity that Charlie Strong demands from his players.
Johnson’s interception in Friday night’s loss to Ennis:
