Greg Johnson

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Greg Johnson may well be the best “pure shooter” to ever play basketball at Napa High School. He is one of four players in the history of the school to score over 1,000 points in his career and is the only one of the four who scored primarily from long range. He accomplished this incredible feat in the era before the three-point shot. One example of his outstanding shooting prowess came in his junior year against Rancho Cotati when, in the third quarter, he set a MEL and state record, shooting 12 consecutive baskets, making nine from the field and three from the foul line for a 21-point quarter without missing a shot. Johnson was the 1980-81 MEL Player of the Year. He is the all-time leading Napa MEL scorer and the second all-time leading scorer in MEL history. Johnson was Napa High team captain in 1979-80 and 1980-81 and was two-time Napa MVP, two-time All-Napa County, two-time Wine Valley All-Tournament team, two-time Vallejo Times Herald All-Region team, two-time Free Throw Champion, Napa Valley Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Athlete of the Week, Vallejo Times Herald Athlete of the Week, and the leading scorer on Coach Denny Lewis’ first MEL championship team in 1980-81. He earned a place, along with fellow HOF member David Burns, on Coach Lewis’ First Team All-Time Napa High Basketball Team for the period 1974 to 1994. He averaged 4.7 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game, and as a senior, averaged 23 points a game. As a sophomore Johnson pitched for the sophomore and varsity baseball teams, but arm trouble cut short that part of his athletic career. Johnson went on to play basketball at Napa College and Chico State University. Vice Principal Roger Ashlock noted, “The way he presented his skills, even during warm ups, told you he was the man…his skills in all aspects of the game literally lit up the gym.”

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