“It was a lot of fun,” former Blue Earth Area Buccaneer football player Jacob Johnson says about playing in the High School Seniors All-Star Football game. “In fact, it was a blast.”

Johnson played linebacker for the South All-Star Team, which defeated the North All-Stars by a score of 21-10 at Husky Stadium at St. Cloud State University on Saturday, June 27.

And, after the game, Johnson found out he was being named the Most Valuable Player-Defense, for the South team.

He had led the South team with 10 tackles; eight solo tackles plus two assists.

“After the game there was an awards ceremony where my team received the championship trophy,” Johnson says. “After that they announced the offensive and defensive most valuable players of both teams and my name was called.”

It was a very special moment for Johnson, mainly because he had a fairly large contingency of fans in attendance at the game.

“My family was there and so were four of my cousins including three who flew in from Pennsylvania just to see me play in the game,” Johnson says. His parents are Dr. Aaron and Jenna Johnson of Blue Earth.

“It was just so exciting to be there and watch him play,” Jenna Johnson says. “We were so proud of him. Especially since he was also chosen to sing the National Anthem before the game.”

There were also quite a few classmates from BEA there, plus Buccaneer football coach Randy Kuechenmeister and his wife, Kristen, as well as quite a few Buccaneer sports fans who have supported Johnson at both football games and wrestling matches.

“Altogether I think there were 30-40 people there cheering for me,” he says. “That was great.”

Jacob Johnson says the whole experience was pretty special. The teams practiced for a full week before the game at St. John’s University.

“It took a while to shake loose the cobwebs and start thinking football again,” the former Buccaneer athlete says. “We got to know our teammates and also the plays we were going to run.”

There was practice twice a day for the first part of the week, then once a day for the two days before the big game.

“It was an absolutely beautiful day to play football; sunny, just the right temperature and no wind,” Johnson says. “You just couldn’t ask for a better day to play football.”

After taking a short one day breather at home after the game, the 2015 BEA graduate hit the road again.

Johnson, who is also an Eagle Scout, spent all of last week at a Boy Scout camp in northern Minnesota, both as a camper and a Scout leader.

This fall, the former Buc star athlete is not headed off to college to play either football nor join a wrestling team.

“In August I am going on a two-year mission trip to Colorado for my church the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church),” Johnson explains. “So I?won’t be playing football, at least not yet. It could always be a possibility in the future, though.”

For now, however, Johnson will just have to be happy with the memories of playing in an All-Star football game and being named the MVP.

And, that, he says, is pretty nice.