Growing up in a family that loves basketball has helped Caden Johnson be physically and mentally ready for big moments as an underclassman starter for Boyd Buchanan.
Now the sophomore point guard has the Buccaneers in a region title game for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when the program made a run to the TSSAA Class A state tournament.
Johnson fired up the home crowd Thursday night in Jett Gymnasium by scoring 10 of his game-high 17 points in the first quarter to lead Boyd Buchanan to a 69-41 win over Silverdale Baptist Academy in a Division II-A East Region semifinal.
The Bucs will host Notre Dame (18-6) at 6 p.m. Saturday for the title.
“I love to compete,” said Johnson, whose brother Ian was a standout senior last year for the team and whose father Gabe is an assistant coach and played for a state championship in high school before going on to play in college.