Alburnett coach builds program into winner

Expectations are high for the Alburnett softball team this summer after winning a state title in 1999 and a runner-up finish last season. The Pirates are 16-3 and top ranked in class 1A. Coach Kevin Johnson says his team has made good progress and hasn’t come close to peaking yet.Johnson says they like to play a tough schedule to get them prepared for state.Johnson took over the Alburnett program eight years ago after serving as an assistant boy’s basketball coach at Maple Valley. He says after spending several years playing fast pitch softball it seemed like the right time to make a move.When Johnson took over at Alburnett the program did not have a pitcher or a catcher. The catcher blew out and A-C-L and the pitcher had decided not to play. He says an assistant coach help them move forward and now the program begins in the third grade.