{"id":2582191,"date":"2026-03-20T14:20:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T18:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aspiring-pastor-becomes-march-madness-hero-by-leading-team-to-epic-upset-while-wearing-his-faith-on-his-feet\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T14:20:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T18:20:59","slug":"aspiring-pastor-becomes-march-madness-hero-by-leading-team-to-epic-upset-while-wearing-his-faith-on-his-feet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aspiring-pastor-becomes-march-madness-hero-by-leading-team-to-epic-upset-while-wearing-his-faith-on-his-feet\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspiring Pastor Becomes March Madness Hero by Leading Team to Epic Upset While Wearing His Faith on His Feet"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">38<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Faspiring-pastor-becomes-march-madness-hero-by-leading-team-to-epic-upset-while-wearing-his-faith-on-his-feet%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2582191&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>high Point&#8217;s 12-seed Panthers pulled off a dramatic NCAA Tournament upset over fifth-seeded Wisconsin when Chase Johnston hit the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left, sealing an 83-82 win. Johnston,a senior guard and aspiring pastor,had earlier drained a crucial 3-pointer to trim the deficit in the final minute. In the postgame, he credited his faith, giving glory to God and referencing John 15:13, and noted his dream of becoming a Christian minister; his sneakers even bore Acts 20:24. The article frames the victory as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hendricksons-patriotic-win-is-a-sign-americas-culture-is-healing\/\" title=\"Hendrickson&#039;s Patriotic Win Is A Sign America&#039;s Culture Is Healing\">classic underdog story<\/a> and emphasizes Johnston\u2019s faith as a central part of the team\u2019s identity, with additional notes from social media posts and coverage in the New York Times.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>College basketball player and aspiring pastor Chase Johnston had a million-dollar moment Thursday night when he made the go-ahead basket to put the High Point Panthers up against Wisconsin, capping off a thrilling March Madness upset.<\/p>\n<p>Johnston ran down the court on a fast break, leaving defenders in the dust, before catching a pass and smoothly laying the ball into the basket with only 11 seconds left, giving the Panthers an 83-82 lead over the Badgers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">FIRST 2-POINTER OF THE YEAR FOR CHASE JOHNSTON &#128561;<\/p>\n<p>HIGH POINT LEADS!!! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/N2ZWYSb9Dz\">pic.twitter.com\/N2ZWYSb9Dz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarchMadnessMBB\/status\/2034718818795135277?\">March 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Johnston had also made a huge 3-pointer to cut the deficit down to one point, with under a minute left to play.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">NICK BOYD CAN&rsquo;T BE STOPPED AND NEITHER CAN CHASE JOHNSTON &#129327;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MarchMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#MarchMadness<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UEGfU57pex\">pic.twitter.com\/UEGfU57pex<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarchMadnessMBB\/status\/2034717408309514336?\">March 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>High Point is a 12-seed and came into the contest as underdogs against a heavily favored fifth-seeded Wisconsin squad.<\/p>\n<p>If that wasn&rsquo;t enough, Johnston gave the glory to God when he was interviewed after the game.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It feels great. It felt great. First and foremost, I just want to all glory to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ,&rdquo; he said during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lebron-james-responds-to-swedens-zlatan-ibrahimovic-i-will-never-just-stick-to-sports\/\" title=\"LeBron James Responds To Sweden\u2019s Zlatan Ibrahimovic: I Will Never \u2018Just Stick To Sports\u2019\">post-game interview<\/a>, as his teammates celebrated all around him. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an unbelievable season.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Senior guard added, &ldquo;This is a group of guys that&rsquo;s built off John 15:13. We serve each other, we love each other, and we look out for each other. I&rsquo;m so grateful, thank you so much.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>John 15:13, Johnston&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=John%2015%3A13&amp;version=NIV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">biblical reference<\/a>, reads, &ldquo;Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one&rsquo;s life for one&rsquo;s friends.&rdquo; It was spoken by Jesus Christ to his disciples.<\/p>\n<p>Johnston also followed up with his own post on the social media website X, echoing his strong religious values.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A team truly built on John 15:13!!&rdquo; Johnston wrote. &ldquo;2,000 years ago Jesus Christ went to the cross for our sake and showed us what true sacrifice and servant hood is. He laid down His life for ours.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">A team truly built on John 15:13&#10084;&#65039;!!<\/p>\n<p>2,000 years ago Jesus Christ went to the cross for our sake and showed us what true sacrifice and servant hood is. He laid down His life for ours. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8PNn25WR1Q\">https:\/\/t.co\/8PNn25WR1Q<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Chase Johnston (@Cjjj_81) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Cjjj_81\/status\/2034799363227349045?\">March 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Johnston&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >faith runs deep<\/a>, as he someday hopes to become a Christian minister and pastor, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7132133\/2026\/03\/19\/high-point-wisconsin-ncaa-tournament\/?source=athletic_user_d_article_copylink&amp;smid=url--ta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to<\/a>&nbsp;the New York Times.<\/p>\n<p>During the game, his sneakers had &ldquo;Acts 20:24,&rdquo; written on the back.<\/p>\n<p>These words were spoken by the Apostle Paul to Ephesian elders as a way of expressing his undying commitment to glorifying God.<\/p>\n<p>Paul said this despite knowing what intense suffering and imprisonment awaited him.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">High Point G Chase Johnston hit the game-winning bucket in their upset win vs Wisconsin with Acts 20:24 on his shoe.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KUNghYGwwA\">pic.twitter.com\/KUNghYGwwA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JonnyRoot_\/status\/2034722335903949095?\">March 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me &mdash; the task of testifying to the good news of God&rsquo;s grace,&rdquo; he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Acts%2020%3A24&amp;version=NIV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">declared<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chase Johnston, a college basketball player at High Point who also hopes to become a pastor, delivered a milestone moment by scoring the go-ahead basket to lift the Panthers over Wisconsin 83-82 in March Madness. He raced down the court on a fast break, shed multiple defenders, caught a pass, and finished with 11 seconds left to put High Point ahead. Earlier, he had sunk a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one in the final minute. <\/p>\n<p>High Point, a 12-seed, was the underdog against fifth-seeded Wisconsin, but Johnston\u2019s late heroics sealed the upset. After the game, he credited God, giving all glory to Jesus Christ in a postgame interview and highlighting the season\u2019s significance. He spoke about a team built on John 15:13, emphasizing love, service, and mutual care. Johnston later posted on X about the verse, noting Jesus\u2019 sacrifice. He has publicly expressed his hope of becoming a Christian minister. Notably, his sneakers bore Acts 20:24, a verse he says reflects his commitment to finishing the ministry he believes God has given him. The piece underscores Johnston\u2019s deep faith as a defining aspect of his journey and ambitions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2582192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Chase-Johnston-March-Madness-Wisconsin.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7142,5250,76247],"class_list":["post-2582191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-basketball","tag-faith","tag-march-madness-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Chase-Johnston-March-Madness-Wisconsin.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2582191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2582191"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2582191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2582195,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2582191\/revisions\/2582195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2582192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2582191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2582191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2582191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}