HAYS - If you look up the word "persevere" you would find among the definitions "to continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty." You also might find the face of Hays High senior Cyrus Johnson.
Thursday Johnson made his decision official to attend Baker University to play football. The road to the end of his high school journey sure did take a winding road.
Johnson moved to Hays from Colby following his freshman year. But even prior to that he had to go through a knee injury in middle school.
When Johnson transferred to Hays he did so with a couple of thoughts in his mind. One of those was that playing for the Indians would provide him the best opportunity to play in college. He also thought he would be used at multiple positions on the field.
As a speedy player Johnson was set to see time at running back and linebacker. He would have to wait his turn as a sophomore behind a very talented senior class. Injury then would derail his junior season. Though a different injury, Johnson injured the same knee he did in middle school.
That led to a cross roads. Following the injury Johnson wouldn't be the same player. Which led to a reincarnation on the field. Johnson bulked up to 210 pounds and moved to defensive end for his senior year where he found a starting spot on the field and eventually a college opportunity.
Head coach Tony Crough said among Johnson's unique abilities is his ability to recall information about the Indian's opponent and their game film. Crough mentioned there was several times in practice that Johnson would call out the exact spot on film the coaches would reference while on the field.
Hays High went 7-3 this past season and won a fourth consecutive Western Athletic Conference title.