Present for the November 20 signing ceremony at Peebles High School were: Front row, from left, Bo Johnson (brother), Jessica Johnson (mother) Payton Johnson and Josh Johnson (father); Back row, from left, Sidney Pell (PHS Girls Basketball Coach) and Dave Smalley (Rio Grande Women’s Basketball Coach). (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
Coach Smalley snags 1,300 plus scorer
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
The Peebles pipeline was in full force on the evening of November 20 as Peebles senior basketball standout Payton Johnson plus family and friends were on hand to see Johnson ink her letter of intent to continue her athletic/academic careers at the collegiate level. Also on hand was 1978 Peebles graduate and Hall of Famer Dave Smalley, who just happens to be the women’s basketball coach at Rio Grande University, which is where Johnson has signed to attend next fall.
Johnson has put together an outstanding four-year career on the hardwood for the Lady Indians, a four-year starter who has accumulated over 1,300 career points and 500 rebounds out of the guard position going into her senior season, giving her a legitimate shot at the 2,000 point plateau. A 1,000 point career is nothing new in Payton’s family as her mother Jessica (Fraley) Johnson is also on the banner, scoring 1,114 points in her high school career.
Why Rio Grande?
“I think for me the main thing is that Rio is close to home, I didn’t want to go too far away,” said the newest member of the very successful Rio women’s program. “I have a really good relationship with Coach Smalley who’s been talking to me since I was a freshman. They have a really good program and play some good basketball there and having Coach Smalley as a Peebles guy is nice, plus I’ve met and liked their other staff and players.”
“I’ve made so many memories with my teammates here at Peebles,” said Johnson, who is also a multi-sport athlete, excelling in track and field along with volleyball her senior year. “I loved playing with Jacey (Justice) my freshman year and we went to the Elite Eight. I had to step in my sophomore year and I have made so many friends along the way, lifelong friends from high school. Sidney (Pell) took over as coach my sophomore season and was also my junior high coach so five of my six years altogether.”
“I’d really love to win the SHAC this year,” continued Johnson. “We’re in the big school division now but we have some pretty tough games along the way. We have some experience now and I think it will show.”
“Payton was part of my first win as a junior high coach and as a high school coach,” said Coach Pell. ” She’s just an all-around good kid, one of the best I’ve ever coached. She’s been a game changer for our program and we go how she goes which is a lot of pressure, but she handles it very well. She’s an even better person than she is a basketball player.”
For Coach Smalley, from a now nationally-ranked college program, it is a nice caveat to snag a terrific talent from the school he called home in his Hall of Fame career with the Indians.
“Being a Peebles boy and coming from this part of the country, I’ve had a lot of people in my ear about Payton, even when she was young and I got to see her play many times,” explained Coach Smalley. “It’s a family thing and I’ve got a lot of people that I know that know her in other circles and we all believe that she will flourish in our system. I believe that she will be a tremendous asset and though I never guarantee anything, I love the possibilities that his young lady can have with us. I think her better years are in front of her. A lot of people in this community believe in her too and I’m glad it’s happening now.”
While at Rio Grande, Johnson plans to study Sports and Exercise Science.
