MORGANTOWN — Two-time Morgantown girls’ soccer state champion defender Josie Johnson won’t be far away when she begins her college soccer career after committing to play for head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown and West Virginia University.
“I couldn’t be more excited and grateful for this opportunity,” Johnson said. “Nikki is such a fantastic coach, and the program has been so successful for a long time. Being able to join a program with sustained success, especially the team I’ve grown up watching play so much with WVU is so special to me.”
As an aspiring pre-med student, Johnson said the academic opportunity with WVU is as essential as the one she has on the field with the Mountaineers.
Coach Izzo-Brown is someone Johnson has known for a long time. She played multiple years with two of Brown’s daughters, Gracie and Gabbie, at MHS and has watched WVU play countless games throughout her childhood.
She knows the opportunity ahead of her to play for such a well-tenured coach like Nikki Izzo-Brown.
“One thing I look for in a coach at any level is how trustworthy they are, and Nikki is the definition of that,” Johnson said. “I know that she will make me better because while she can treat me like her own child and be one of the kindest people ever, she can also push me when I need it and tell me what I need to be doing to improve.”
After helping lead MHS to the last two Class AAA girls’ soccer state titles as a vital part of the defensive line, Johnson returns for her senior year with the Mohigans to help her team capture its third straight championship.
“We have a lot of new players coming in this season so I hope that we can really come together as a team quickly and build those relationships early,” she listed as one of her goals for MHS this season. “Individually, I just want to be there for my teammates and be a strong leader. I hope we can be solid defensively every game and always improve as a unit.”
Johnson said being able to solidify her future before the start of her snore year at Morgantown High School both adds and relieves some pressure off of her shoulders.
“Academically, I’m glad that I know my situation and where I’ll be going to school, so I think that pressure is gone,” she said. “But athletically, I think it added a little bit because I know I need to work hard to get better before joining WVU next fall.”
Johnson is also a member of the MHS track and field team. She said being an athlete at MHS has been special to her.
“I’m very proud to come from MHS,” Johnson said. “Other members of my graduating class have also done some great things, and I’m proud of the way we represent Morgantown High. There have been some incredible athletes that have come from MHS and continued on to make names for themselves and it’s a special place to be.”
