12/1/2009
TIM UNRUH
An old basketball hoop still hangs on the garage on the Johnson farmstead, where brothers Ralph and John honed their game on a rock driveway.
Later, they moved inside the family’s machine shed, where the youngsters would do battle through the 1960s and ‘70s — after their chores were finished, of course.
“We used to get together with the Base boys — Gene, Brian and Dennis — and play 2-on-2 and 3-on-3, depending on how many could make it,” Ralph said.
Their father, Leland Johnson, was a star player for the Ell-Saline Cardinals in the 1940s. His sons showed similar prowess.
The pickup games were tough, but civil, at the Johnson place in northwest Brookville.
“We played all those years and never did have a fight,” said Ralph, 50.
Those rich memories rose to the surface when McPherson author Steven Farney gave him a call about a year ago, while he was doing research for his third book on Kansas basketball.
A passionate fan, Farney, 54, played at Wilson High School in the early 1970s and narrowly missed making the Kansas State University freshman and junior varsity teams in successive years.
Ralph Johnson is featured in Farney’s latest work, which chronicles Kansas basketball history — “Club 50,” volume one of “50-point scorers in Kansas Boys Basketball.” It was released in August and will be featured at a book signing from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at Waldenbooks, in Central Mall, Salina.


Read the rest of this story in Wednesday's Salina Journal.

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