Meet Jackson Johnson, a calming presence on the top-ranked Gilbert boys soccer team

The top-ranked Gilbert boys soccer team needed a lift in the second half versus No. 10 Perry Thursday.

The Tigers were deadlocked in a 1-1 tie at halftime. They were a little hectic and out of sorts at times in the first half.

They needed someone to settle things down.

Senior midfielder Jackson Johnson did just that. It took just over six minutes for Gilbert to score the go-ahead, and eventual winning, goal when Jackson lofted a free kick from the 34-yard line on Perry's side of the field to teammate Preston Stensland, who converted a header into a score.

Johnson continued to show why he was named to the 2A All-State second team by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association last season by helping Gilbert control possession for most of the first 25 minutes of the second half. The Tigers went on to down the Bluejays, 3-1, to remain perfect on the season at 13-0 overall and 6-0 in the Raccoon River Conference.

“He continues to give us that calmness that we need,” said Gilbert coach BJ Jordison. “We came out a little bit more frantic than we needed to, and he was able to calm us down, along with some of the other seniors, and allowed us to play the style of soccer that we want to.”

That calming presence is a big reason Johnson is not only one of the best midfielders, but one of the best all-around players in 2A. It is also a big reason the Tigers are undefeated.

“He does a great job of getting everyone moving in the same direction, which we really needed this year,” Jordison said. “All-around, he is a very dependable player on the field.”

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Johnson emerged as a huge weapon for Gilbert at the end of his junior season. For the 2023 season, Johnson scored seven goals and consistently set up his teammates, finishing with 20 assists.

He played a crucial role in Gilbert's success at the state tournament with his ability to possess the ball and use his strong leg to set up teammates on corners and free kicks.

“I just found some confidence at the end of last year,” Johnson said. “I got some assists for my teammates — they were starting to put balls in the net. That gave me a lot of confidence. I was able to carry that for the rest of the year.”

That positive vibe carried over into the offseason.

“Going into this year, knowing what I did last year, I know I have a high standard,” Johnson said. “I hold myself to that.”

Johnson's scoring production has picked up this season. He has nine goals already.

He has also gotten even better at passing, dribbling, ball control and long kicks off corners and free kicks. His biggest strength is his awareness on the field and ability to control the flow of the game from his midfielder position.

“He finds people,” said Gilbert midfielder Truman Kruckenberg. “He creates a lot of opportunities for other people by either creating space with his on-the-ball moves or just getting the ball out into space. That puts us into opportunities to succeed.”

Kruckenberg is Gilbert's attacking center midfielder. He has played with Johnson since they were little kids

“I love playing with Jackson in the middle,” Kruckenberg said. “We play off each other well. Communication is the big key for us. We talk to each other and we’re then able to tell others what position to be in.”

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Everyone else on the team also benefits from Johnson's unselfish play.

Johnson's strong leg is a huge weapon for Gilbert on offense. The Tiger forwards love it when he gets to do corners and free kicks.

“He’s got a great foot,” Jordison said. “He knows where to put the ball and when we need to go short or long. We leave that in his hands, and he does a great job for us.”

That was evident on Stensland's goal against Perry.

“You always like a guy that looks for others, and that’s what Jackson does,” Stensland said. “He puts the ball in the right spot, and you just have to go and finish it.”

Johnson has become more of a vocal leader this season as well.

“I didn’t used to be a rah, rah guy, but I’ve stepped into that role a little bit,” Johnson said. “But I like to let my play do the talking.”

After Johnson helped Gilbert turn the tide in the second half versus Perry, Jordison said that was the best half of soccer the Tigers had played all season. Even though the Tigers are undefeated, they have looked vulnerable recently.

Gilbert had to eke out 2-1 victories over Bondurant-Farrar, Nevada and North Polk leading up to the Perry game.

Everyone on the Gilbert team knows there is a lot of work to be done if the Tigers are to repeat as 2A state champions. Johnson is especially aware that Gilbert needs to pick it up a notch or two over the next couple of weeks.

He will be a significant factor in whether the Tigers can raise the bar in the coming weeks.

“We’ve had glimmers of being a great team, but we really haven’t been able to put that together for sustained periods of time,” Johnson said. “You’ve just got to get hot at the right time, and this was the type of game to get the momentum going into the postseason.”

Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Jackson Johnson is a strong presence for Gilbert boys soccer