Redemption?
B.J. Johnson had to think -- but only for an instant -- before he issued an affirmative response. Yeah. Sure. No question.
Quite understandable, too, since the Lower Merion senior with the Syracuse basketball scholarship watched his Aces lose in three championship games to a powerful, almost mystical Chester program.
There wound not be a fourth.
And even though Johnson suffered through his own personal nightmares against Chester, Saturday night was different.
Collectively.
Personally, too.
Racking up a double-double (22 points, 11 rebounds), Johnson fueled Lower Merion to a decisive 63-47 victory over Chester in the PIAA Class AAAA title game before some 7.500 fans at Hershey's Giant Center.
Johnson added an assist, a blocked shots and two steals for the Aces (30-3), who halted Chester's two-year hold on the Class AAAA championship.
Lower Merion also snapped Chester's 78-game winning streak against Pennsylvania competition -- which included three victories over the Aces.
One in each of the last two District 1-AAAA championship games.
Another happened last March at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center -- in the PIAA Class AAAA title game -- where Chester clipped the Aces 59-33.
Johnson had seen enough.
Heard enough, too.
"The first three games, I didn't have my best game and we didn't play that well as a team," Johnson recalled. "I think after every loss, we just refocused like I did and said we're gonna get them back next time.
"Then it happened again and we said we're gonna get them back next time. I think the last time we really focused."
This time, the Aces came through.
"It couldn't happen to a harder-working player," said Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer, who captured his third state championship. "He has worked so hard in the past 12 months to potentially gain this redemption.
"He's really struggled against Chester the last three times and for him to have that type of performance when it counted the most was great for one of the finest players to ever play at Lower Merion."
In Lower Merion's three previous outings against the Clippers, Johnson netted just 24 points. That's right, 24 points.
Total.
"It wasn't easy for him," Downer said. "He's a competitor and going up against Rondae [Jefferson] is very difficult. Rondae is one of the best defenders around and it's not an easy challenge for any player.
"He kept working. He kept working. He kept working, as did the whole ballclub and we found a way to break through tonight."
Johnson, though, focused on the collective effort.
"I guess it's natural to say it's me versus Rondae, but at the end of the day it's Lower Merion versus Chester so I don't really think of it as me versus him," Johnson said. "I just think of it as us versus Chester."
Nonetheless, there was a heavy Johnson influence.
Not only Saturday night, but also during the Aces' postseason difficult journey just to reach Hershey's Giant Center.
Johnson also had clutch efforts during that testy stretch, converting a conventional three-point play to secure Lower Merion's 63-62 triumph over Harrisburg in the state quarters a week earlier in Reading.
Johnson also unloaded a double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) in Tuesday's 67-63 conquest of New Castle. So, Johnson came in energized following a pair of sparkling efforts in the Aces' previous two outings.
No. 3? Well, that came in Hershey.
"If he doesn't make that play [against Harrisburg], we might not be talking right now," Downer said. "That game was very close, but big-time players make big-time plays and he did that that night and he also did tonight."
Several times.
Poise was needed early, too, as Chester zipped to a 6-0 lead.
The Aces, though, weren't about to cave.
"The last three times we played Chester, we were worried about not making mistakes," Johnson said. "And I think today -- when we were coming up here [Friday] and just hanging out with each other -- we were more relaxed.
"Today, when we played, we just played our game."
Particularly Johnson.
The 6-7 forward posted 12 first-half points in Saturday night's triumph, bagging a pair of early treys as Lower Merion opened a 28-20 lead.
He added a finish at the rim to start the third quarter, then finished his night and his career by posting eight points in the fourth.
Including six from the foul line.
For the first time since this series began several championships ago, the Aces played loose and free. Conversely, Chester played with the weight of the entire Keystone State resting upon its broad, broad shoulders.
"That's what our coaches told us," Johnson said.
"They said, 'The pressure's on them, everybody thinks they're gonna win.' We just kept calm and played our game -- and we got a win."
And, as soon as that win was locked away, Johnson sprinted to Lower Merion's animated student section to celebrate with them.
Said Downer: "He gets maligned a little bit for 'Is he good enough to go to Syracuse? Is he good enough to go to Syracuse?'
"[He's] one of the hardest-working players, one of the nicest guys I've ever coached and we're gonna miss him greatly."
That's usually the case with a kid who closes out his career with a win -- in a state title game before a sizable audience.
"Yeah, I think losing to a team in three different championships is bad," Johnson said. "So losing in four different championships is even worse.
"I didn't want to have my head down like last year in the locker room with a silver medal in my mouth."
This time it was all gold.
Lower Merion gold.
MICHAEL BULLOCK: mbullock@pennlive.com
BULLOCK ON TWITTER: @thebullp_n