Wednesday, February 21, 2001

The Natchez Democrat

Every coach wants his team to grow bigger and better. But

not many coaches take it as literally as Natchez High’s Joseph

Johnson.

Then again, few people coach powerlifting, a growing sport

in which size – but more important, strength – matters.

&uot;We actually have one of the smallest teams in 5A,&uot;

Johnson said. &uot;But when we leave a meet, people know we were

there.&uot;

That was the case last Saturday at the 3-5A Regional Powerlifting

Tournament at Madison Central High School in Madison, in which

eight Natchez lifters placed third or better to qualify for the

South State Tournament to be held there March 10.

Derrick Blanton placed first in the 114-pound class and Jimmie

Johnson III set a meet record in the 132-pound class with squat

of 290 pounds.

&uot;It was light,&uot; Johnson said. &uot;I’ve lifted more

than that in practice.&uot;

Alonzo Green, Torrey Groce, Isreal Cavit, Joey Mitchell, Charles

Smoot and Lonnell Williams also qualified for South State – an

improvement for coach Johnson’s young team.

&uot;We have six members of the band – students who have never

lifted with any guidance,&uot; he said. &uot;They’ve done very

well. They’ve all done well.&uot;

The new weight equipment in the Multi-Purpose Center has also

helped the team improve.

&uot;At first we didn’t have much. We just had the basic stuff,&uot;

Jimmie Johnson said. &uot;Now we have things like that leg curl

bench. We can work different parts of the body and get stronger.&uot;

New weights are a nice recruitment tool, but coach Johnson

knows his lifters are more important to the future success of

his team.

&uot;I tell the athletes that they have to sell this program.

They have to tell their friends how much fun their having, how

much they’re learning,&uot; Johnson said. &uot;They have more

influence with their peers than I ever will.&uot;

Williams first began lifting to strengthen a bad knee, he said.

&uot;Once I got in the program, I enjoyed it,&uot; he said.

&uot;I wanted to stay another year.&uot;

Jimmie Johnson first started lifting to get in shape for football,

but found out last year he wasn’t ready for powerlifting competition.

&uot;This year was a whole different ball game,&uot; the

junior said. &uot;Powerlifting took my heart.&uot;

Coach Johnson hopes to continue to expand his powerlifting

program, and Natchez is scheduled to host a meet next year.

&uot;We’ve video-taped other meets, so I think we have a good

format,&uot; he said. &uot;We’re going to roll out the red carpet.&uot;

With few schools in Mississippi sporting powerlifting teams,

comradarie between schools is important, Johnson said.

&uot;We want to beat them,&uot; he said. &uot;But at the

same time, when someone has a good performance, we tell them so.

&uot;We’re such a small group compared to the number of schools

with football and basketball teams,&uot; he said, &uot;we try

to establish good relationships between the teams.&uot;

And the esprit de corps of the sport is obvious in the Natchez

team, Johnson said.

&uot;It’s give and take. I learn from them and they learn

from me,&uot; he said. &uot;We’re more like a family than a

team.&uot;