Johnson gears for one last playoff run
Watervliet coach to step down after 17 years with Cannoneers
WATERVLIET >> When the Watervliet girls basketball team opens its sectional schedule Friday night at 6 p.m. against Mechanicville, the Cannoneers play-in game will have a special meaning for those in maroon.
That’s because it’s the start of Watervliet head coach Gordie Johnson’s last ride with the Cannoneers.
Johnson, who’s been the head coach at Watervliet (811) for 17 years, is retiring after the season.
“I’ve been at Watervliet High School for a long time, and before I did the girls, I did seven years with the freshman boys,” Johnson said. “We’ve been involved in high school for quite a while. I started coaching in 1977 actually. I did CYO a couple different levels, things like that, but for 39 years it’s been non-stop.”
In fact, Friday night will be the last time that Johnson will coach on his home floor.
But after celebrating it last Friday, during his last home regular-season game, the playin game is much more about business.
“We had a big send- off and the gym was full of alumni and alumni parents,” Johnson said. “Kids that I’ve coached since 1977 were there with their kids. That was pretty emotional. This one’s going to be more business-like because the kids know that if we lose it’s the end. They’re pretty focused on the task at hand. They certainly don’t want to end this thing for me with a loss at home. That would be kind of tragic. To get a win here would be a good thing against a decent Mechanicville team. They do some good things, they have a lot of good shooters, so we’re certainly focused on that (at practice).”
Johnson’s time in charge of the Cannoneers was a successful one. The veteran coach guided the Cannoneers to seven Section II titles, 13 Section II finals appearances and two league titles.
For a man with so many fond memories, it was tough to pick just one that stuck out.
“It’s tough. There’s so many big games and championships, and so many good kids,” Johnson said. “I’d be hard-pressed to pin down one to be hon- est. Ailayia Demand, obviously, one of the best players to play at our school, at Le Monyne now. Mikayla Deguire, on that same team with Ailayia, and she’s on scholarship at Franklin Pierce. Just a ton of good players, good character kids and just an absolute pleasure to work with the kids that I worked with. It’s a lot of fun.”
Even though Waterv- liet’s taking on a slumping Mechanicville (4-16) team, slotted six spots below them seed-wise, the Cannoneers understand that Friday’s matchup will be a tough one.
“I think it’ll be a good matchup,” Johnson said. “They’re always aggressive kids, they’re wellcoached. Blain Goverski does a real good job with his kids. I’m looking forward to the challenge and so are my kids.”
Now that he’s embarking on his last sectionals run with the Cannoneers, Johnson wants it to last as long as possible and see if his team can pull off a few upsets along the way.
“To me, you really always remember your first team and your last team and this is my last team and these guys are certainly giving everything they got,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of young kids that are trying to figure it out. We’re getting better and better and hopefully we can make a little noise and a little run here. It’s special to me and it’s special to the kids, and I have a good relationship with them. No one wants to see it end that’s for sure.”
What is Johnson going to do with his free time now that he’s done coaching? Spend some time down in Florida.
“I’m going to Florida in the winters,” Johnson said. “I’m going to escape this weather and head to Florida for a couple months. My wife retired last year and we plan on taking some time and going down to Florida in the sunshine for a while. That’s our immediate plans.”