K-State QB recruit Avery Johnson scores on pass, rush, catching TD in Maize rivalry win

In an alternate universe, Avery Johnson is convinced he is a star wide receiver.

For one play in Maize’s 63-26 rivalry win at Maize South on Friday, the future Kansas State quarterback was allowed to live out his dream as a receiver.

It was the latest spectacular performance from one of the nation’s top high school quarterback prospects in the class of 2023, as Johnson scored a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown and finished with 340 total yards.

The highlight, of course, was the 66-yard receiving touchdown he scored just before halftime when he took a throw-back pass behind the line of scrimmage and weaved in and out of the Maize South defense and pulled away for the score in an impressive display of speed and vision.

“I’m telling you somewhere I’m the best receiver in the nation,” said Johnson, laughing. “I joke with the receivers all the time that I have the best hands on the team. It’s fun to play receiver, but at the end of the day, playing quarterback is where my love is.”

Johnson proved again why he is the most dangerous dual threat in the state, turning nine carries into 130 yards and three touchdowns and then throwing for 144 yards and another touchdown.

But Maize found a way to add a third dimension to Johnson’s game with a trick play installed by offensive line coach Victor Mercado, who told The Eagle he borrowed it from another football coach he follows on Twitter.

There was no better time to unveil “Avery Special” than in a rivalry game.

The play began with the ball on the left hash and three receivers bunched together far on the right side of the field. Maize senior receiver Justin Stephens starts on the left side, then goes in motion before the snap and loops behind Johnson.

The ball is snapped and Johnson immediately passes it five yards behind him in the right flat to Stephens, who sells the play as a screen and waits for the entire Maize South defense to flow to the right side of the field before he flings a cross-field pass back to Johnson.

“He’s always throwing (touchdowns) to us, so we wanted to do something special for Ave,” said Stephens, who has played with Johnson since grade school. “I’ll always remember that one, especially coming against Maize South and it being with him.”

Johnson raced down the left sideline, cut back and sprinted past the rest of the Maize South secondary for the highlight-reel touchdown. But the star quarterback made sure to give credit to the player who threw him the ball.

“If you’ve been around Justin, you know he has a great arm,” Johnson said. “He throws 90 off the bump in baseball season. He got it to me with a clean, tight spiral and made it easy on me. I knew when I caught the ball and had all of that open space, it was going to be fun.”

It may have been fun once, but Maize coach Gary Guzman said don’t expect to see Johnson catching too many more passes as the undefeated Eagles continue their pursuit to a Class 5A championship.

“I’m sure he could be (a great receiver), he could do anything he wants to do,” Guzman said. “But we don’t want to make a habit out of throwing the ball to him.”

Johnson was far from the only star in the win that moved Maize to 5-0: Syracuse commit Bryce Cohoon caught four balls for 116 yards and a touchdown, while running back Daeshaun Carter rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and Tayveon Williams added two rushing scores.

Maize South (3-2) managed to produce 479 yards of offense in the loss, as sophomore quarterback Tate McNew threw for 419 yards on 35-of-61 passing with three touchdowns, while Sammy Dresie caught 14 passes for 197 yards and two scores and Landon Gatto had 15 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown.