Smith-Cotton High School senior Jayce Simoncic is the 2015 recipient of the Mark Johnson Academic Achievement Scholarship. Simoncic was an All-West Central Conference selection at defensive back and an Academic All-State honoree.
The annual scholarship – provided by former S-C coach Johnson and his family – awards $500 to a S-C football player who is a full-time starter his senior year. Other eligibility requirements are:
• Must have played four years of football for Smith-Cotton High School
•Must have a 3.7 grade-point average or higher on a 4.0 scale at the end of his junior year
•Must never have been suspended for using illegal drugs, alcohol or tobacco
Simoncic’s name has been engraved on a plaque that is displayed in the S-C gymnasium. The scholarship, which will be funded by the Johnson family through 2043, was awarded for the first time at the end of the 2013 season, Johnson’s final year leading the Tigers football team. The winner was Cole Simoncic, Jayce’s brother, who also was an Academic All-State performer.