Seventh grader with autism makes game winning shot in Pomona basketball game
Sonny Johnson helped his team at John Marshall Middle School win the last game of the season against Fremont Academy.
POMONA, Calif. (KABC) -- The John Marshall Middle School basketball team in Pomona is something special.
They have a key player named Sonny Johnson. He's a seventh grader with autism.
His physical education teachers noticed his potential for playing basketball.
"He just jumped in there and yeah he has some skills, right? So, that's where Mrs. Alexis got that idea. How about the basketball team?" said Victor Garcia, a P.E. teacher at Marshall.
The basketball coach found out about Sonny's potential.
"Right before Sonny came to our team, we talked to the team. We said 'Hey guys so we have an opportunity, a special opportunity to add someone to our team. it's going to be up to you guys,' and every single person in that room said 'Hey we're down,'" said Rodrigo Yanes, Sonny's basketball coach.
"He goes 'You got to see this kid play,' and I was like ok. We embrace the opportunity, inclusion for all of our students, so when he came to me I was like yeah sure," said Mandy Vance, the athletic director.
Sonny's father says the students on his son's team have the hearts of lions.
"They can be down 30 points and Sonny would still play or they could be down to a tied ball game, coming down to the wire, and Sonny's still playing," said Justin Johnson, Sonny's father.
It's not just Sonny's team who has his back though.
Their last game was against Fremont Academy. Sonny's mother said a student on Fremont's team helped her son out.
"They were losing by two points and he passed the ball to him. After the game he told him 'Thank you for doing that' and he tells us 'That's my buddy. We went to elementary school together. I remember Sonny. That's my friend,'" said Teresa Hidalgo, Sonny's mother.
Sonny ended up making the game winning shot and Marshall won by one extra point.
"Everybody was screaming, cheering. Everybody was so happy and everybody was proud that he made it too," said Saleen Flores, the basketball team's manager.
Sonny isn't just great on the court. He's also a straight A student off the court.
"He's always the first one to raise his hand. He always wants to participate. Doesn't matter what subject we're doing," said Alexis Nouwels, Sonny's special education teacher.
Sonny says he loves being on the team and expects to be back next basketball season.
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