Jersey's Panthers Get A Bite At Granite City In Tonight's Opening Game

Johns is most known for his 16 years as head coach at Calhoun High School, where his team won state titles and as competitive each year in the state playoff hunt. He began his career in 1981 at Calhoun.

The Panthers host Granite City at 7 tonight at Jersey. Jersey will have to contend with one of the premier players in the area - Granite City quarterback Freddy Edwards.

The Panthers will sport a different style of play and considerably varied offensive look under Johns, who many consider one of the better all-time football coaches in Illinois.

Johns has won 187 games in 28 years as a head football coach and his Trenton-Wesclin team was an undefeated 9-0 last year in the regular season and won a conference championship. Jersey was 4-5 last year. “I started about 18 miles from here down river at Calhoun and that was 1981 when I was 24 years old in my first year,” Johns said. “I graduated from Belleville East in 1975. I went to Carlinville after that, then I was offensive coordinator at Triad for seven years before taking the head coaching job at Belleville West and Trenton-Wesclin.”
Johns said he is excited about coaching at Jersey, working with the players and coaches.

“Things are working well,” he said of his transition. “I think we have a pretty good shot for a good season. We have enough here to have a good team in my opinion.”