Opelika’s 9th grade wide receiver Ja’Quez Johnson made what might be the greatest catch of all-time during a high school football game on Monday night. That is not hyperbole.
It might be the greatest catch in the history of catches. It is certainly up there!
Johnson, a freshman, plays for the Bulldogs. Opelika is located in eastern Alabama, about an hour from Montgomery and 20 minutes from Auburn. The school was originally built in 1972 and serves approximately 1,300 students in grades 9-12.
Johnson, of course, is one of them. He’s a freshman.
Opelika’s varsity team is 4-4 on the season with two games left. If it wants to win out, head coach Erik Speakman might consider calling up Johnson after his most recent viral performance.
9th grade high school wide receiver Ja’Quez Johnson made the freakiest catch of the year.
While the Varsity team plays on Fridays, the freshman team plays on Mondays. Johnson lined up split out to the left and ran a post route back over the middle. The defense was pretty loose in its coverage at the line which gave him a great jump to propel him into the second level.
At that point, Johnson was met by a pair of safeties. One tried to stick with him, the other had to close quickly and ultimately made the tackle.
Johnson was in double coverage but his quarterback threw it his direction anyway. The ball was overthrown… until it wasn’t.
With a ridiculous leap, Johnson went up and swung his right arm like a windmill and somehow snagged the ball with his right hand over his head. His entire body was at about a 45-degree angle when he made the catch, and managed to hold on all the way through contact and through the ground.
It truly might be the greatest catch of all-time. Top-10, at the very least.
A 6-foot-0, 165 pounds, Johnson must have jumped 40+ inches in the air to pull the throw out of thin air. And it’s not the only highlight reel catch that he has made this season!
Johnson is only a freshman, so there is a long way to go in his recruitment, but he is going to be in high demand when it is all said and done. WHAT A CATCH!