Notre Dame senior finishing career with flourish

The Notre Dame High School varsity boys basketball squad hasn’t won a District championship in five seasons (2020), but it is favored — or at least is the top seed — in this week’s MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 tournament at Fredericktown High School.

The Bulldogs (13-13) will face the hosts and No. 4-seed Blackcats (15-10) at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, in a semifinal contest, and the shooting prowess of senior guard Kolton Johnson will go a long way in helping his team’s chances of success.

“I love seeing good shooters,” second-year Notre Dame coach Jeremy Brinkmeyer said earlier this season. “That is because they are not born, they are made.”

That is definitely true, but one can’t help if there might be an asterisk by his statement.

Kolton is the son of Cory Johnson, who played for Southeast Missouri State in the late 1990s and is the Redhawks’ third-most accurate 3-point shooter of all time, and seventh overall in makes.

“It’s in the blood a little bit,” Brinkmeyer said.

Johnson has been prolific this season from beyond the arc and is finishing his career on a strong note.

He recently lit up Hillsboro for 25 points in a Notre Dame victory, which came after he set a program record with 10 3-pointers against Malden.

“Kolton has spent an uncountable amount of hours in the gym shooting, working and gaining confidence” Brinkmeyer said. “That is what it is. He just puts in a lot of time and effort to be a good shooter.”

Johnson and his eight Bulldog senior teammates (Hunter Bonham, Ryan Boswell, Brett Dohogne, Zach Eftink, Brody Harden, Logan Landewee, Trenton Schumacker, Hayden Steimle and Will Henry Steward) have helped the Bulldogs match last season’s win total. A victory on Wednesday assures the Bulldogs a non-losing season for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

“It’s always fun to see (a player succeed) as a coach,” Brinkmeyer said. “Kolton has been tremendous for our program.”

Johnson is known for his offensive skill set, but Brinkmeyer lauded his development at the other end of the court, also.

“Not only does Kolton give us a lift offensively,” Brinkmeyer explained, “but in the last two years, he’s really bought into trying to play better on the defensive end.

“He’s done that.”

The Bulldogs improved offensively this season by nearly five points per game, but their success is also attributable to Brinkmeyer’s kids lowering the team's defensive average by just as much from last season.

“Kolton has been a great team player for us,” Brinkmeyer said. “I’m very proud of him.”

Notre Dame opened this season with a 66-28 thumping of Fredericktown in Cape Girardeau.

No. 2-seed Dexter (12-13) will face No. 3-seed Kennett (10-16) in the other C4D1 semifinal at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Bearcats have beaten the Indians twice this season but by very narrow margins (55-52 in December and 68-60 in double overtime in February).