The news came via a text message from Garfield Heights athletic director John Townsend. Boys basketball coach Sonny Johnson was at home when he got the news, called his son Marcus into the room and read him the message.
After a standout junior season with the Bulldogs, Marcus Johnson had been named Ohio Mr. Basketball. It put the youngster in rare air when it comes to Ohio basketball history, but in the process it elevated father and son into an exclusive category.
In 1998, Sonny Johnson brought home the honor while averaging 34.0 points and 17.6 rebounds per game for Garfield Heights. And when his son earned the honor in 2025, it made them the first father-son duo to each earn Ohio Mr. Basketball honors.
A few days after Marcus Johnson was presented with his award at halftime of the Division IV title game inside Dayton’s UD Arena on March 21, the uniqueness of the situation was not lost on either of the Johnsons.
“Since I was in high school, my dad always used to tell me that Mr. Basketball is a big thing,” Marcus Johnson said. “I used to go play with him and a lot of people would say, ‘You’re Mr. Basketball from 1998.’ It was a dream come true, to be honest. In high school I’ve always wanted to win that award, knowing how big it was.”
The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals as Garfield Heights, coached by his dad, went 24-3 and took a one-point loss in the Division III semifinals. He broke his dad’s single-game scoring record for the Bulldogs, putting up 55 points in a win against Maple Heights.
In three years of high school ball, Marcus and Sonny Johnson are a combined 72-9.
“I think for him, just to see him receive the award, it was outstanding,” Sonny Johnson said. “I know the hours, the nonstop hours and film study and everything he does preparation-wise to be successful, so it was great seeing him get that.”
The younger Johnson was a finalist for the award as a sophomore. Current Ohio State rising freshman Colin White took home the award that year. Since then, Marcus Johnson said he’s gotten stronger, put on about 10 pounds and improved his game by spending extra time in the film room. His father said he grew as a leader, becoming a player who makes players around him better while directing the offense with the ball in his hands as a point guard.
Sonny Johnson played two years at Cleveland State, transferred to Ohio, sat out a year and played two more, averaging 15.2 points per game for the Bobcats. Marcus Johnson has committed to Ohio State for the 2026 class. There’s been talk of ...
