Spring Break
Bird flies under the radar
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 3/5/09 Section: Sports
Johnnie Bird remembers a lot about his basketball career.
He recalls, with detail, the night of Jan. 25, 2005. Then the senior point guard for 9-2 Central High School in Bridgeport, Bird and the Hilltoppers welcomed 11-0 Trinity Catholic, the defending state champion and current No. 1 team in Connecticut, to the confines of their home gym.
Central was one of the few teams in the FCIAC conference - and probably the entire state - that could match up with Trinity's firepower. Central forward Travis Bostick was one of the most athletic big men in the league. Swingman Mario Darden was one of the most prolific scorers.
But that night, neither drew the task that the 5-foot-10 Bird did.
Bird's assignment was to lock down the best player in the state, a lightning-quick 6-foot-3 guard who could shoot it from deep and slash to the basket. The responsibility of stopping Craig Austrie - a player who directed Trinity to a 79-3 record in his three years as a starter and finished as the school's third all-time leading scorer - fell squarely on the shoulders of Bird.
But, to Bird, none of those stats mattered.
"I was oblivious to that kind of stuff, I was just playing basketball," Bird said. "My coach told me about him, he told me to give him some space because he was quick, so I did."
Austrie took full advantage of that space. He pulled up from what Bird called "halfcourt" and buried a shot in his face.
"After that, I played him a little tighter," Bird chuckled.
Bird, who Austrie described as "fiesty" and "a player who did all the little things," gave Austrie all he could handle. But in the end, Trinity prevailed, 69-54. The two players shook hands, said the traditional "good game" to one another and went their separate ways.
Central finished the year 18-6 and lost in the state semifinals to eventual champion Crosby (Waterbury). Bird ended the season averaging roughly 14 points and three assists per game.
He recalls, with detail, the night of Jan. 25, 2005. Then the senior point guard for 9-2 Central High School in Bridgeport, Bird and the Hilltoppers welcomed 11-0 Trinity Catholic, the defending state champion and current No. 1 team in Connecticut, to the confines of their home gym.
Central was one of the few teams in the FCIAC conference - and probably the entire state - that could match up with Trinity's firepower. Central forward Travis Bostick was one of the most athletic big men in the league. Swingman Mario Darden was one of the most prolific scorers.
But that night, neither drew the task that the 5-foot-10 Bird did.
Bird's assignment was to lock down the best player in the state, a lightning-quick 6-foot-3 guard who could shoot it from deep and slash to the basket. The responsibility of stopping Craig Austrie - a player who directed Trinity to a 79-3 record in his three years as a starter and finished as the school's third all-time leading scorer - fell squarely on the shoulders of Bird.
But, to Bird, none of those stats mattered.
"I was oblivious to that kind of stuff, I was just playing basketball," Bird said. "My coach told me about him, he told me to give him some space because he was quick, so I did."
Austrie took full advantage of that space. He pulled up from what Bird called "halfcourt" and buried a shot in his face.
"After that, I played him a little tighter," Bird chuckled.
Bird, who Austrie described as "fiesty" and "a player who did all the little things," gave Austrie all he could handle. But in the end, Trinity prevailed, 69-54. The two players shook hands, said the traditional "good game" to one another and went their separate ways.
Central finished the year 18-6 and lost in the state semifinals to eventual champion Crosby (Waterbury). Bird ended the season averaging roughly 14 points and three assists per game.
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