BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — Athletes get familiar with all different sorts of tape.
Athletic tape for wrists and ankles, Kinesio tape for nagging injuries, and tape on opposing teams to watch during scouting sessions.
The only tape McAllen Memorial senior Ebony Johnson cares about, though, is duct tape.
“I talk back sometimes, and when I’m mad I spazz out,” Johnson said. “So my grandma gave me duct tape to put it somewhere. When I get mad, I just look at it and I calm down. I decided to put it on my shoes, since she’s not there for the games, because she lives in Missouri.”
Johnson said her grandmother is a big inspiration to her.
On Friday, Johnson signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on a full scholarship at Division I Arkansas-Pine Bluff. During the ceremony, Johnson she made sure to give credit where it’s due.
“Even though she’s not here, I want to thank my grandma,” Johnson said to the crowd gathered in the library to see her sign the LOI.
Johnson’s father, David, is from Arkansas. So even though Johnson will be far from her family in the Valley, she will have family nearby.
“I always see my family there in the summer,” Johnson said. “I’m really close with my grandma and my cousins, so they are going to be a big help to ease the transition.”
Memorial coach Clarisse Arredondo gave an impassioned speech about the hard work Ebony Johnson had given for the four years they were together.
“It’s really special,” Arredondo said after the ceremony. “As a coach, your dreams are to help kids get to the next level. It’s not the coach that makes the player, it’s the hours, and the time, and the effort that the kid puts into the sport. Hard work pays off, and we are extremely proud of Ebony. Hopefully, this shows all of the other kids that if they have dreams of playing at the next level, it can happen.”
It happened for two of Arredondo’s players this week alone. Johnson signed Friday, and Victoria Izaguirre signed to play for Division III Eastern Nazarene on Tuesday. Izaguirre and Johnson have been playing together for seven years, and they have become best friends.
“Honestly, it is amazing,” Izaguirre said. “We started off in middle school and we have a give-and-go, and that’s all we had to do. In high school, we made the most of it, and we grew together. She’s like a sister to me, and it’s great to see her accomplish this.”
The two have had a close relationship on and off the court for years.
“Since middle school, we have always wished to go further in college,” Johnson said. “I’m going to be a Lion, and she is going to be a Lion. So, it’s super ironic.”
The Pine Bluff Golden Lions and the Eastern Nazarene Lions will each be getting a talented Mustang next year.
Johnson and Izaguirre are pushing each other to prepare for the jump in competition.
“I work out with her after school,” Johnson said. “We just talk, and sometimes it gets emotional because we are both moving so far away, but we’ll only be a phone call away. I think we’ll be fine.”
“Even though we have different workouts, we are doing it together,” Izaguirre added. “We are going to do it as long as we can, until we have to go our separate ways.”
Johnson may be on the precipice of her college career, but there’s another big event she’s excited for before she’s done with high school. Johnson’s grandmother will be in attendance for her graduation.
“I can’t wait,” Johnson said. “She’s just a good person, you know? And I can’t wait to see her.”