Aberdeen Christian senior guard Jett Johnson is spending the last few months of his high school career soaking in every moment he can with the Knights boys basketball team. Despite being involved in football as well, basketball is the sport he remains most connected with.
But Jett’s journey as a leader starts well beyond the court. He’s leaned into his faith as a Christian, which he credits for making himself the person he is today.
“Just being a guy that can show unconditional love to [underclassmen], and just if they have any questions, whether it's about the Bible or whether it's about just in life in general, I'm always there to help,” explained Jett. “I’m a leader on the court, but that's not necessarily my forte. It's more so of a trying to be a peacemaker, and just someone that they can always come talk to."
Jett’s had other people to lean on throughout his life. Whether it’s been his parents, upperclassmen who came before him, or even his current head coach Matt Rohrbach.
“I can call Matt at 10 o'clock at night and just tell him about things I'm either struggling with or telling him about things that I want to accomplish, whether it's basketball or just life and actually having that those bigger, personal relationships is the best aspect,” told Jett. “Having a coach like Matt, who puts his identity in Jesus before actual sports has been the biggest change for me in my life, because I can kind of see a bigger picture of life in general.”
On top of being a casual leader in his faith, Jett also leads a Bible Study at Aberdeen Christian that a lot of the basketball players join him for. They meet on Tuesday mornings at the school.
“I'll bring donuts and we'll just typically go over a chapter of the Bible and just chat about it,” he told. “Real life topics, what it means to actually be a follower and disciple of Jesus.”
Jett also has other leadership roles at the school. As a junior he was the president of the student council at Aberdeen Christian. This year, he took a step back, but remains as the vice president of the organization. He mentioned that without his journey in faith, he wouldn’t be the person he is today, which includes his role as a prep basketball player for the Knights.
“I probably actually play a little bit more with confidence on the basketball court and I can still mess up. Sometimes I say things I shouldn't, obviously, but I have more of an accountability, and from Jesus, it gives me a lot more confidence in the core,” Jett said. Whether I'm shooting bad, whether I'm playing bad in general, I have confidence that I am secure in Christ.”
As a high schooler, he also has his own power washing business, which has helped him learn and honor responsibility. Jett wants to take those traits to college next year.
“I'll be going up to Fargo to NDSU and then I'll be getting my insurance license this spring, hopefully, and I'll just be pursuing business,” he stated. “Sports will always be fun and I'll always have those great memories of being on the team and having Matt [Rohrbach] as a coach. But yeah, pursuing business and having Christ is my number one.”
Aberdeen Christian has really popped onto the basketball scene in the past seven years. They’ve qualified for the state tournament five times since 2020. Last season, they placed seventh at the state tournament.
This year, the Knights are off to another nice start to the season. They’re currently 6-1 with wins over Warner, Leola/Frederick, Wolsey-Wessington, and Dell Rapids (A).
While Jett is obviously keeping an eye on the future, he’s excited to soak in the next few months on the basketball court for his final season.
“If there's anything I want to be remembered for at Aberdeen Christian, it's 100% for my faith,” said Jett. “Hopefully I can be a light in people's world.”
