Think of a wrestler — quick, efficient and light on his feet. Now think of an offensive lineman — tall, strong and lumbering. The two don’t seem to go together, but when you mix them up, you get Bulloch Academy’s Asa Johnson.
    Through the summer and fall, Johnson anchored the Gators’ offensive line as the team's center. BA advanced to the GISA playoffs with a lot of help from Johnson, who earned a spot on the Statesboro Herald’s All-Area football team this season.
    Now, Johnson is getting back to work as a member of the Gators’ highly regarded wrestling squad.
    “It’s a lot of hard work,” said Johnson. “Practice is tough in football, but in wrestling, the training is really intense. We get after it every day.”
    A founding member of BA's wrestling squad, Johnson has seen the Gators go from an upstart program to a team that is one of the favorites to win a state title.
    “Asa has grown up a lot,” BA coach Andy Tomlin said. “This year is a great example of that. We asked him to make the jump from 161 (weight class) to 180. He has really responded and is a very important part of this team."