High School Teams Return to Practice

JOHANNESBURG — The Johannesburg-Lewiston football team was one of nine local football teams to return to the practice field on Monday following a month off.

Fall sports teams learned on Friday that they will be able to return to the postseason thanks to . Football, volleyball and girls swimming and diving were the three remaining sports needing to finish.

The Cardinals, like many other teams across the state, now turn their attention preparing for their playoff game. The circumstances have become more difficult than they were in November with more snow on the ground, but they’re more thankful to get this opportunity.

We wanna finish the season, see where we’re at, see how good we are, have that chance to play for the state championship so that’s been the biggest thing, that’s the biggest excitement,” Johannesburg-Lewiston football coach Joe Smokevitch said. “And I gotta be honest, I didn’t think it was gonna happen this time of year.”

Johannesburg-Lewiston is 9-0 after coming off a district title win over 2019 state runner-up Beal City, but they will travel to face Iron Mountain on Jan. 2.

“It’s wonderful, I mean, you never know with these times and we just gotta stay positive,” Johannesburg-Lewiston senior Tommy Runyan said. “Thank God, we get to come back and just play I mean, play with the best of our ability and we’re looking towards a state championship.”