Mars Area Athlete: Tai Johnson

After the Mars girls basketball team lost to Oakland Catholic in the third round of the WPIAL 5A Girls Basketball playoffs they were pretty upset that they would not have a chance to go to the Petersen Events Center and bring home a WPIAL championship trophy like the Mars Boys basketball team did.

What you have to like about the Mars girls basketball team is that they did not give up after the WPIAL playoff loss and that they still played every game in the state playoffs like it was their last one.

Mars got to the state championship game when they beat Obama Academy first, then they defeated Thomas Jefferson, Gateway and Archibishop Carroll. Most basketball teams that would not get to the WPIAL championship game would feel that since they didn't reach the WPIAL championship game that they would have no chance in states but Mars did not think that for one little bit.

The athlete that got all the attention after Mars won the state championship game was Mars Junior Point Guard/Shooting Guard Tai Johnson. Tai Johnson made a nice defensive play which lead to her making a two point basket and she got fouled while shooting so she got to shoot a free throw and she made it which gave Mars the W.

For the rest of her life she will always be known as the girl that lead Mars to the promise land. She will go to college to Bucknell University to continue her basketball career and maybe it make it big in the WNBA some day. At least Bucknell knows that they have a player in the future that can make a clutch play during a crucial situation in a game. Tai and her Mars Area Fighting Planets will try to defend the state title next year and she might like it as well if her team made the WPIAL championship game next year as well.