SPEEDWAY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS

This week we are celebrating LeBron Willis, and the impact he has had on our community as a student-athlete! LeBron is the son of Cherell Johnson and Eric Willis. He has one sister, Ariel Johnson and two brothers, Eric WIlls and David Bonaparte. One adult Lebron would like to recognize for being a huge influence on him would be his grandma. “My grandma’s always gentle, supportive, and understands me more than anyone else I know without me having to ever even say much,” said LeBron. One teacher LeBron would also like to recognize for having a big impact on him would be his engineering teacher, Mrs. Mulpuri and his algebra teacher, Mrs. Doran. “They always notice when something is up with me,” noted LeBron. “They are always willing to work with me and help me understand things, and always try to support me with anything I do the best they can.” LeBron has participated in football, wrestling and track and field during his four years at Speedway.. “Playing these sports develops your body, mind, and self as a whole,” said LeBron. And his coaches have noticed. “He always shows up to put his work in, and continues to grow and compete,“ said varsity football coach Shane Clampitt who enjoyed watching LeBron’s enthusiasm learning to play defensive line. “LeBron is one of the kids I am most proud of in my coaching career,” said Clampitt. “Even though he was a challenge early on as an underclassman, he never stopped working and truly wanted to become a good football player. Through hard work and commitment in the weight room, LeBron completely transformed himself into a player we could count on. He became our emotional leader and set the tone for our team every single day.” “Lebron is a kid that I just love having around our program,” noted varsity wrestling coach Nick Paden. “He has a big smile, always wants to know how I am doing, and he has a desire to get better every day. Last year, in just his second year wrestling, he contributed quite a bit for us in the varsity lineup. I always appreciate his will to learn and improve!” When interviewed early this fall, LeBron planned on attending either Purdue or Indiana State to study engineering. He also plans on playing football if that would work out. Sparkplug Nation is very proud of LeBron and his accomplishments and can't wait to see what the future brings him. Senior athletic profiles are produced by the Student Media Team of Morgan Smith, Jonathan Berry, Hayli Clampitt, and Colten Thompson.