Johntay Cook II wants a state title before heading to Texas
DESOTO, Texas (BVM) 鈥� Johntay Cook II has been putting up big numbers once again this season for DeSoto. The senior receiver is finishing his Texas high school career strong before he heads to Texas next year. But he isn鈥檛 satisfied with just a good season with impressive stats.听
鈥淚 feel like I haven鈥檛 done enough,鈥� Cook said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a bunch of good players that have had nice stats and done great things but the thing that people really remember is the state champion.鈥澛�
馃し馃徔鈥嶁檪锔� it, Johntay out there somewhere. 馃
— DeSoto Football (@FootballDesoto)
Feeling like he hasn鈥檛 done enough is saying something in Cook’s case. The 6-foot wideout recently had 10 catches for 233 yards and five touchdowns in a 86-26 win over Lake Ridge. Last year when he traveled to Mansfield, he scored four touchdowns so of course he had to one up himself.听
鈥淭he first drive we come out and I score that nice touchdown,鈥� Cook said. 鈥淢y receiver coach, Coach Sweeny, he had said, 鈥楿h oh repeat from last year.鈥� Next drive I come out and score again, two quick touchdowns back-to-back so after that second touchdown I was like, 鈥榊eah I gotta break my record of four.鈥欌��
He had four touchdowns by halftime and got the fifth quickly in the third quarter. Cook continues to add to his own chapter in the storied history of DeSoto High School football. Cook has been at DeSoto since he was in third grade and grew up watching many DeSoto greats. For a school that produced Von Miller, there have been plenty of good Eagles.听
鈥淚 watched all of the greats come in and out of DeSoto and I just pictured myself being in that jersey since I was young,鈥� Cook said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to carry the legacy.鈥澛�
Carrying on the legacy, his love for high school football and his teammates are the reason he stayed for his senior year at DeSoto. Originally, Cook planned on graduating early so that he could go to college. However, his parents suggested he stay to enjoy his senior year of high school. It’s a special time and you only get to live it once.听
Cook decided to stay but with the plan of being 100 percent focused on the team and winning a state championship. That meant no distractions and in particular, no splitting time between the team and the recruiting process.听
鈥淚 was like, you know what? If I鈥檓 going to be here and play with my guys, I want to be all in,鈥� Cook said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be missing any key practices or going on visits.鈥澛�
With that in mind, Cook verbally committed to Texas during the summer. As a five-star and one of the best wide receivers in the Class of 2023, he had plenty of other options but at the end of the day, he was meant to be a Longhorn.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 Texas, I鈥檓 a Texas kid,鈥� Cook said.听
He also loved the atmosphere around the program. Cook believes in what head coach Steve Sarkisian is doing at Texas and as a wide receiver, it鈥檚 hard to find better options at quarterback. Once he鈥檚 in Austin, he will have the opportunity to have two different elite quarterbacks throw to him.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 the trigger man,鈥� Cook said. 鈥淥bviously if you watch Texas football you see that Quinn Ewers is the man and he can sling it. Then right after him, it鈥檒l be Arch Manning.鈥澛�
QB Arch Manning with a 70 yard bomb to Johntay Cook II earlier today at Texas 馃幆
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3)
He鈥檒l go from representing DeSoto to representing his home state. But before he does that, he needs to end on the right note with the Eagles. Cook loves high school football and it’s bittersweet that he鈥檚 moving on to the next part of his career in the near future. However, that bittersweetness of his high school career could be made much sweeter with a state championship and Cook is doing everything he can to end on a win.听
鈥淚鈥檓 full in with my guys and trying to win a state championship,鈥� Cook said.
