Local basketball talent Braycen Johnson is the latest student-athlete to be selected to participate in the AHSAA All-Star week, which will take place July 21-26.
Johnson, a junior boys’ basketball player at Belgreen High School, was picked for the North team All-Star roster as announced in a press release by the AHSAA on March 25.
Averaging 21.2 points per game for the Belgreen Bulldogs during the 2024-25 campaign, Johnson helped lead BHS to an area title and a sub-regional playoff berth.
“It means a lot to me. Because of where I’m at, because I’m at a small school I’ve been told I can’t go anywhere,” Johnson said defiantly. “I’ve been through some adversity, and it means a lot to be in the top 30 (in the state), but I’ve worked really hard to get here.
“I wanna give a lot of thanks to my teammates and my coaches,” Johnson added. “Honestly, my teammates are always pushing me in practice—frustrating me sometimes—and I wouldn’t be here without them pushing me and making me better. I give all thanks to them.”
First-year Belgreen head coach Will Bonner, who was the last Bulldog player to be picked for the all-star game back in 2021, said he wasn’t as surprised as Johnson was at his selection.
“I think there’s 30 kids that get selected for that, so it’s a pretty big honor, but I see every day all the hard work he puts in. He’s a good kid on the court and in the classroom,” Bonner said. “I told him about it and he really couldn’t believe he made it, but he’s very deserving. Very deserving.”
A First Team Franklin Free Press All-County selection, Johnson also received Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 2A All-State Honorable Mention recognition.
The junior radiated confidence when speaking with the FFP. Despite playing for a small, rural school—Johnson is the only player on the North roster from Class 2A—the guard said he worked hard to get to this position. He’s keen on the new experience and looking forward to showing off his skill set when the all-star game tips off this summer.
“In basketball, if you have a good shot then you can go anywhere. It doesn’t matter your size or your strength or whatever. I think I have a good shot and I want to show that off,” he said. “But a lot of people know my game and they know what I can do. I also want to show improvement and show people stuff about my game they didn’t know about.
“I’m excited about playing against higher competition and learning how to play with new people. That’s important to learn whether it’s in basketball or just in life in general,” Johnson added. “Getting some experience that I’m not used to and stepping out of my comfort zone, I’m really excited for that.”
Commenting on this story has been disabled.
