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Banneker Johnson is making the leap to the next level. The Troup soccer senior will be heading just up the road to Point University to continue his athletic career. Johnson will be joining lifelong friend and fellow Troup senior Nolan Barton on the soccer field at Point, which was a major contributing factor in Johnson’s collegiate destination.

“Seeing Nolan sign there made it an easier decision for me,” Johnson said. “To have somebody that I already know there with the chemistry that we have is going to be big for me.”

Johnson will be a hard man for the Troup soccer team to replace. The creative midfielder did it all for Troup, whether it was scoring goals or assisting them, Johnson was at the heart of the Tiger attack.

One of Johnson’s biggest moments in a Tigers uniform came earlier this year when he buried the winning penalty to knock off Starr’s Mill in front of the home crowd at Callaway Stadium. Despite that monumental goal and moment for the Troup boys soccer team, Johnson had a difficult time narrowing down his best soccer memory to just one at Troup.

One of the reasons for that is the fact that Johnson, along with his fellow senior soccer players, have turned the boys soccer program around. What used to be a listless program has been sparked to life and for Johnson to be a part of this remarkable turnaround has been the joy of his young life.

“It really has been a wild ride,” Johnson said. “From the very first day when we showed up for summer workouts to the last game was special. To see how far the program and the players have come is really unbelievable.”

Now, it is time to hang up the blue and gold jersey and don the sky blue of Point. The Skyhawks made a natural fit for Johnson.

“I grew up in this area, my grandparents live near the school,” Johnson said. “I’ve spent all my life playing soccer in this area, so it makes sense for me to keep playing here

“When I went and visited the campus, it felt like an extension of home.”

Despite his time at Troup nearing an end, he will cast a large shadow over whoever decides to take the no. 10 jerseys for the Tigers going forward. 

The Johnson legacy will live on at Troup, through what he was able to accomplish and through his younger sister — Grace — who is just starting life on the soccer field at Troup and has shown plenty of her brother’s promise, including scoring four goals in a single game earlier this season. Johnson is already looking forward to seeing how Troup soccer continues to grow, and with his new academic residence just up the road he will have plenty of opportunities to see Troup soccer grow up close and in person.