Michael Huffman’s pass was incomplete.
The West Lowndes boys basketball coach lobbed a pen toward the table set up on the stage at one end of the Panthers’ gymnasium, but the toss was dropped, and the pen clattered to the floor.
If only West Lowndes’ quarterback himself had been there to throw it.
Senior Elijah Johnson was a little busy Wednesday morning, though, sitting at the table as he became one of two Panthers players to sign to play football at East Central Community College.
“It was very exciting to know where I’m going and find me a new home to play ball again,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who will be playing cornerback at the next level, joined defensive lineman Javon Wilburn in signing with the Warriors.
The two will reunite — along with several other players from the area — in Decatur come preseason camp.
“It’s a brotherhood,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be like a family down there.”
It’ll be just like it was for a West Lowndes team that reached the second round of the MHSAA Class 1A playoffs.
With a small roster, the Tigers couldn’t afford to let Johnson too loose on defense lest he get hurt, but his first season at quarterback was impressive.
The dynamic runner split carries with running back Jaquavious Tate and was extremely productive when he got the ball.
“We’re going to miss him,” West Lowndes coach Anthony King said. “I wish I had let him play quarterback two years earlier because he was so fast he never did get run down from the back.”
Wilburn, for his size (6-foot-1, 250 pounds), is also quite fast.
King praised the defensive tackle’s motor and even went as far as comparing him to Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald, who is the same height as Wilburn.
“Expect good things from him,” King predicted.
Wilburn said he could try to play like Donald, particularly if he can stay in shape. He said he was drawn to the weight room at East Central as well as the locker room and plans to make contributions early on for the Warriors.
“I’ll bring a lot to the defense,” Wilburn said.
Johnson, too, liked what he saw in Decatur. He said ECCC “felt like home” as well as a natural next step after his standout high school career.
He was nervous as he took the stage — initially, without a pen — Wednesday morning.
But he wasn’t about to look back.
“It’s a blessing,” Johnson said. “I prayed for it. I’m here now. I’ve got the chance to play college ball.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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