Owen class of 2025 receives winning sendoff from Super Bowl champion Brad Johnson

Graduation ceremony celebrates Swannanoa Valley Pride and Perserverance

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 14, 2025

A senior year interrupted by an unprecedented natural disaster ended on a high note, June 14, as a hometown hero delivered the keynote address to the Owen High School class of 2025.

Brad Johnson, who led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the organization’s first Super Bowl championship in 2003, donned his retired Warhorse basketball and football jerseys while commending the 143 graduates for their perseverance in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.

A graduate of the Owen class of 1987, Johnson was a two-sport superstar during his athletic career at the school. He finished his basketball career as the second Buncombe County player eclipse the 2,000-point mark while leading the Warhorses to an appearance in the state semifinals.

On the gridiron, Johnson passed for more then 4,500 yards in maroon and white, leading Owen to the third round of the playoffs and earning All-American honors as a senior. While he would go on to play at Florida State University before embarking on a 17-year career in the NFL, Johnson told this year’s graduating class it was an opportunity he nearly missed.

“When I was a senior at Owen, I quit football. I was going to put all of my effort into basketball,” he said. “We had not had much success my first three years, and we were looking for our third head coach in four years. I actually missed the first three days of fall football camp.

“Then, I received a phone call from the new head coach, who was just 25 years old, and his name was Kenny Ford,” Johnson continued. “At the end of that conversation, he told me understood my disappointment in my football career, but to be careful about putting all of my eggs into one basket.”

But, it was two simple points made by the young coach, who went on to win 230 games in 29 seasons as the Warhorses head coach, that convinced the quarterback to return to the field.

“He said we’re going to work hard, have fun and win, but more importantly, we’re going to earn respect and make the Valley proud,” Johnson said. “Those last two things — respect and making the Valley proud — talked me into playing football.”

The speaker encouraged graduates to remain steadfast in their aspirations.

“Class of 2025, give yourself every chance to have even an opportunity in your chosen endeavor,” Johnson said. “When you have a goal, see it through.”

He encouraged the students to draw upon the same resilience they have shown throughout their recent experiences.

“It’s hard to imagine, five years ago, with COVID-19, the world was shut down,” Johnson said. “It’s unimaginable and unthinkable what took place last fall, with the damage and destruction of Helene. Last fall, you lost almost two months of your high school experience.”

The destruction left by the storm, he added, was “only one part of the story.”

“During that time, the people of the Valley took care of their own. Neighbors helped neighbors, friends helped friends, people helped people,” Johnson said. “Tough people last longer than tough times, and that’s who you are — tough people. Don’t ever forget that.”

The speaker gifted each graduate a copy of “Curious George Rides a Bike,” as a reminder to be grateful for each day, rely on teammates and family, accept opportunities with gusto and learn from adversity.

“As Owen High School graduates, you have made the Valley proud, and we wish you much success in your journey,” he said. “Warhorse and Warlassie Pride lives on.”

While student speaker Jaeda Hall preceded Johnson, her remarks reflected similar sentiments.

“I, personally, have a lot of pride being here right now and being a product of this community,” she said. “This school and this valley will always be a part of our lives and will forever be a place we can come back to with open arms.”

Hall lauded her classmates for responding to the natural disaster with grace.

“This is our moment, not Helene’s…” she said. “The hardships we faced have shown me that, no matter what, our community will be here to lift us up, and to fall back on.”

The power of a three-letter word was the central theme of Mateo Magaña’s address to his fellow graduates.

“Back in seventh grade, when I joined the cheer team, I was excited, but also scared,” he said. “I remember the first time I tried stunts and jumps that were out of my comfort zone. I said, without thinking, I can’t do it. Immediately, I was asked to do push-ups.”

Although “I can’t” was a forbidden phrase, he continued, there was a loophole to that rule.

“The trick was to say, ‘I can’t do it, yet.’” Magaña said. “That’s our rule in cheerleading. We’re never allowed to say 'I can’t,’ unless it’s followed with ‘yet.’”

The 2025 Owen homecoming king, captain of the cheerleading team and valedictorian came to recognize the value of that standard.

“It became our mindset,” he said. “Yet meant possibility. Yet meant growth. Yet meant that failure wasn’t final, but instead, it was just a part of the process.”

Magaña encouraged his classmates to rely on the power of the small word.

“It allows us to not be perfect and still believe in progression,” he said. “It’s not about knowing everything from the start, it’s about believing with time, effort and passion, the answers will come. And, through that journey, we’ll evolve into who we’re meant to be.”

Owen Principal Dawn Rookey told the graduates it was an honor to serve as their lead administrator.

“Over these past four years you’ve grown, not just in knowledge, but in character,” she said. “You’ve learned how to adapt when plans fell through, how to support each other in unseen ways and how to keep moving forward with purpose and heart.”

Rookey urged the graduates to carry a sense of home, wherever they go.

“This community, this valley and these mountains have shaped you,” she said. “Let this day stand as a landmark on your journey, and a reminder, not just of what you’ve done, but where you come from and the strength that gives you going forward.”

This school year, the principal added, serves as a reminder of just how powerful the spirt of the Swannanoa Valley can be.

“When challenge came this community didn’t falter, it reached out and lifted up and moved forward together,” Rookey said. “You weren’t just watching, you were part of it. You’ve seen what community looks like when it’s real, and you’ve helped carry it.”

Photos of the 2025 Owen High School graduation ceremony can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.