VIDALIA, La. &045; Ken Johnson’s never had a problem elevating before, but for the last two months he hasn’t been dunking like he used to.

The reason? A broken bone in his left foot, suffered during football practice in November. Johnson was running routes when he took a cut too hard, twisting his foot and breaking the bone.

For six weeks, doctor’s orders kept him off his feet, except for some therapy to ensure the bone grew back in correctly.

But in the last two weeks, Johnson has rejoined the basketball team and is back to his old high-flying ways. At 5-9, Johnson is on the small end of high school basketball players, but that just adds to the excitement of his dunks.

&uot;I get strange looks (when I dunk),&uot; Johnson said. &uot;No one expects someone my height to come up and dunk the ball.&uot;

But dunk the ball he does, and with ferocity. The scariest part is that Johnson still isn’t at the height of his playing ability yet. On Thursday afternoon, he showed off an astonishing vertical leap, but still had trouble throwing the ball down.

&uot;He doesn’t usually miss,&uot; head coach Robert Sanders said. &uot;He’s not at 100 percent yet.&uot;

Sanders &045; and everyone else in a crowded Vidalia High gymnasium &045; watched in something close to awe as Johnson repeatedly drove to the hoop, collected a pass from teammate and launched himself at the rim.

That athleticism will help a Vidalia squad that likes to run the floor. But Johnson also brings something even more important to his team &045; experience.

With Johnson back in the starting lineup for the Vikings, things are looking up as district play gets going. Last season, Johnson was a starter for the team and he was a backup as a sophomore on the Vidalia team that went to the Super 28.

Johnson couldn’t have come back at a better time. Without him, the Vikings have struggled, going out to an 8-12 record in non-district play.

Johnson is a proven commodity on a squad that’s mostly young and raw. He will team with Marvin Warner, Ramon Harris and two players to be determined in the team’s starting lineup, Sanders said. Vidalia will need all the help it can get tonight with McCall, thought by many to be the favorite to win District 4-2A, coming into town.

&uot;They always say win your home games in district and try to steal some on the road,&uot; Sanders said. &uot;We have the district favorite, and it’s a home game. This is the perfect opportunity.&uot;

The game is the district opener for Vidalia, and may give a glimpse of how the district season might play out. McCall (15-3, 1-0) opened with a win over Lake Providence. McCall and Ferriday are probably the best two teams in the district, but the return of Johnson to the lineup and some continued improvement from Vidalia’s younger players may move the Vikings into contention for a district title.

Johnson certainly thinks so.

&uot;It’s important to get off on the right foot,&uot; Johnson said. &uot;We want to make some noise, show other teams we can’t be taken lightly. We have a good chance if we do what we need to.&uot;

For Johnson, this is a final season to prove himself on the court and make some college coaches think about recruiting him despite his less-than-ideal size.

&uot;I think about (playing in college),&uot; Johnson said. &uot;I know I could play, but I have to get an opportunity.&uot;

Vidalia fans are thankful they have a few more opportunities to watch what Johnson can do in high school.