Program Staple: Franklin set to retire Adrienne Johnson-Joseph’s jersey
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
There were a variety of ways former Franklin High School girls basketball coach Ronnie Louis pointed to the maturity of standout Adrienne Johnson, who showed during her outstanding career in both athletics and academics.
Louis, who spent the final two seasons as her head basketball/track coach, pointed toward a stretch during her junior season when Johnson suffered a broken right (dominant) hand. With the Lady Hornets trying to keep their string of three straight trips to the state tournament alive, Johnson remained present during her setback.
Instead of drifting into the background and outside of the view of her teammates, Johnson was front and center each practice during shooting drills. She grabbed a ball and began shooting left-handed until she was able to return to the starting lineup with an extra tool in her toolbox.
“It (shooting left-handed) was second nature to her,” Louis said.
So was leadership and winning.
Johnson grew up as a big contributor to Franklin’s back-to-back Class 3A state championships – the first two in school history – and helped maintain the program’s ascent when first team All-State selection and Miss Basketball Alexis Rack graduated.
Franklin advanced to the Class 3A state championship game in 2006, falling by three points to Capitol, and was eliminated in the state semifinals by Mansfield the following year in what was a historic run for the program with four consecutive trips to the state tournament.
On the same weekend, Rack will be inducted into the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame, another cornerstone from Franklin’s program, which is also experiencing a milestone.
Franklin will officially honor Johnson-Joseph (she was married in 2017) by retiring her No. 33 jersey, which will join Rack’s No. 20 as the lone girls ‘ jerseys to have their jerseys retired by the St. Mary Parish school.
“This moment’s inspiring to me,” Johnson-Joseph said. “It means everything. My story shows that dreams are possible when you commit to the work. When you’re coachable. When you’re dedicated. All of this makes that moment worth it. I hope they look up to me that they can do this as well.”
The ceremony is scheduled for Friday at 5:30 before Franklin’s District 7-2A game with Catholic-New Iberia.
“They can look at her and understand she was from right there and may make them think that if she could do it, they could do it, too,” Louis said of aspiring young basketball players in the audience. “They just have to put in that work and the effort. Anything’s possible.”
Rack, who played collegiately at Mississippi State, was a year older than Johnson, but the two were often teammates growing up through the biddy basketball ranks until they were separated by age on the AAU level.
They were a big group of young girls excelling on the basketball court and showed that better days were ahead for both Franklin Junior High and Franklin High Schools.
“It was great coming up with these girls, we all stuck together,” Johnson said. “It was great for the city of Franklin and Franklin High School.”
Under coach Paula Washington, Franklin became a state champion for the first time in 2004, defeating Teurlings Catholic, 69-57, in the championship game, a year after losing to the Lady Rebels in the opening round of the playoffs, 51-49.
The Lady Hornets followed that up a season later, surviving a 68-67 overtime win over Albany in the semifinals to defeat Carroll, 58-52 for a second straight state crown.
Now a fixture in Class 3A, Franklin (41-0) was undefeated going into the state final against Capitol, which upset the Lady Hornets, 44-41.
“It happens,” Johnson said. “We needed those humbling experiences. Everything’s a learning experience, you improve and move forward.”
With three seniors graduating, led by Rack, who was the state’s Miss Basketball and Class 3A MVP, Franklin also transitioned to Louis, a former assistant, who took over for Washington.
The 6-foot Johnson was already a three-time all-district selection and had landed on the LSWA’s Class 3A All-State team twice, and was productive at several different positions.
“She was so versatile,” Louis said. “She played the 2 (shooting guard) through the 5 (center). She was a matchup nightmare.”
With a surplus of guards his first two seasons, Louis said Johnson began expanding her game away from the post and to the perimeter with skillful ball-handling and 3-point shooting ability.
“You could see her confidence,” he said. “She was unstoppable. (College) Coaches were coming down to see her.”
Johnson averaged a double-double (25 points, 13.4 rebounds) as a senior, leading Franklin back to the state tournament, where they were eliminated by Mansfield, 62-46, in the semifinals.
She also averaged 5.4 blocked shots, 5.3 steals, and 4.4 assists – credentials that led to a boatload of postseason honors.
“It was just a bad game,” said Johnson, the Class 3A tournament MVP. “It happens. Everything happens for a reason.”
Johnson was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, the Class 3A MVP, and the District MVP. She was selected to the Daily Iberian’s Best of Tech MVP and earned a spot on the Lafayette Daily Advertiser’s All-Acadiana squad.
Johnson recalled the amount of support the team received from the school and the surrounding community.
“That was a huge part of our success and dedication,” said Johnson, a four-time district champion and four-time member of the all-district team. “Our parents were all on board. We were a village back then. It took more than just the coaches and the school. It takes parent dedication as well. They were there supporting us, the community supported us. The success we had was from the work we put into it.”
Johnson was also a standout on the track, where her athleticism was truly on display. She was a three-time state champion in the triple jump (2006-07) and high jump (’06) and twice finished second in the high jump (’05 & ’07).
“It originally started off to keep me in shape during the offseason,” Johnson said of track, who was coached by legendary track coach Albert Perry and Louis. “We noticed I was pretty good at it, and I kept at it.”
Louis noticed the mature approach Johnson had taken in her life. She was accountable to those on the court and in the classroom, thus providing a successful foundation for her future.
“You could see her determination on the court and in the classroom,” he said. “She had everything logically squared away. Not just in basketball, but in life as well. Just watching her grow in the classroom, you saw her maturity and growth. That goes back to the parents (Albert and Yvonne). Kudos to them for building that foundation.”
Before her senior season, Louis said coaches flocked to Franklin for preseason workouts to get a glimpse of Johnson. With more than her share of options, she decided to remain in-state and signed with Louisiana Tech.
“It was her decision,” said Louis, now the St. Mary Parish School Board’s Supervisor of Transportation.
Success followed Johnson from Franklin to Louisiana Tech, where she originally signed to play for coach Chris Long. When he was fired during the 2008-09 season, Teresa Weatherspoon, an associate head coach and former Olympian, took over and coached for the next six seasons.
Johnson worked at the off-guard position and continued to play in the post, utilizing her ball-handling skills and quickness to the dismay of her opponents.
Johnson started in all 126 games during her career in Ruston, helping lead Louisiana Tech to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances and one WNIT. She distinguished herself in power blue, red, and white with 1,985 career points – fifth in school history – and 186 blocked shots – eighth best all-time.
Johnson’s 21.9 scoring average as a senior was the fifth-highest for a program with a rich history. Her 41 20-plus point games were fourth best 41, and she was in double-figures 96 times with 29 double-doubles.
Johnson, a member of Louisiana Tech’s All-Quarter Century Team in 2005, was a three-time All-Western Conference first team selection, the league’s MVP in 2011, and a three-time member of the WAC’s All-Defensive unit.
The 2010-11 season proved to be a special one, where in addition to the aforementioned honors, Johnson was chosen honorable mention on both the State Farm and Associated Press All-America teams.
Moreover, she was a two-time choice as the state’s Player of the Year by the LSWA (2010-11).
“We were pretty successful,” said Johnson, who also averaged 9.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.4 assists as a senior.
Johnson was drafted in the third round by the Connecticut Sun in 2011 – the last time the Lady Techsters had a player drafted by the league.
With only 11 roster sports for 11 teams, making such a WNBA team was difficult, and Johnson was cut shortly thereafter. She wound up enjoying a three-game playing career overseas in Bulgaria and Italy.
“It wasn’t a talent thing but a numbers thing,” Johnson said. “I excelled overseas. I met a lot of girls in a similar situation with limited roster sports. It was an experience I’ll never forget. I’d do it all over again. I kind of lost love for the game. I had to see what the real world had to offer.”
With a degree from Louisiana Tech in Computer Information Systems, Johnson pivoted toward corporate America and put her degree to good use. She later met Lawilton Joseph, also a native of St. Mary Parish, in 2013 and married in a Jamaican wedding in 2017.
Johnson-Joseph, now the mother of 7-year-old twins Jordyn and Aubree, has been a Senior Software Engineer for 10 years. She’s also interested in the development of youth athletics and making a difference in the lives of today’s children – much the same way she received a helping hand.
“I had people like Benny Aucoin and Trent Hebert who both taught me the fundamentals in biddy basketball,” Johnson-Joseph said. “In middle school, I had Ella Francis, Paula Washington, and coach Louis. The current principal at Franklin High, Natasha Jackson, was one of our high school assistants. They all played an extremely supportive role in Franklin High’s success as well as my success. This jersey retirement is kind of like a full circle moment.”
Franklin has long paid homage to its greatest athletes, and the gymnasium will have another addition to its wall where pictures of the Lady Hornets’ four straight state tournament teams already have a prominent place.
The jerseys of Rack and now Johnson-Joseph, two of the program’s pillars during the school’s greatest stretch, will also be reminders of their impact on the school and community.
“They understood what it took to be successful,” Louis said. “To be on the big stage and (winning) district championships and the ultimate goal of winning state championships.”
Johnson-Joseph admits there will be a lump in her throat on the night of her big moment. She’ll look and smile at her dad, Albert, for the role he played in her development, but undoubtedly, there will be a void left by her mother, Yvonne, who passed away 15 years ago.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” she said. “She was my biggest fan and supporter. I wish she could be here to see this, but I know she would be proud.”