It’s no surprise that Justis looks up to his dad so much as he’s his football coach and the person who instilled in him a passion for the game. “I started in flag when I was four years old with my brother Jett, and I’ve stuck with it my entire life, and I love the game. My dad is the one that introduced it to me, and he loves the sport so much too,” Justis said.

His dedication to football from a young age is paying off in his high school career. He received First Team All-Conference Wide Receiver for his junior football season, as well as a Journal Star Honorable Mention. Unsurprisingly, he is having another successful season his senior year. His favorite play of the season so far was during the homecoming game against Fieldcrest when he made an impressive one-handed catch. “Being able to go out and play with my friends and make a play like that was really cool,” Justis said of the game. He hopes to follow in his older brother Jake’s footsteps and play football in college.

Working hard and being involved is vital in Justis’s journey to success. He does football, basketball, track and is a Senior Class Officer. Such a hectic schedule may be daunting for some, but Justis said that involvement pushes him to be his best in school. “I can always think of a sport that I’m gonna play after school like football, basketball or track, and it’s motivating to be able to play those sports after. It gets me through the day,” Justis said.

His basketball coach, Aaron Dohner, admires Justis’s work-ethic and positive attitude. “Justis is fun to be around, works hard, has the respect of his coaches and teammates and will do whatever is asked of him in order to try to help his team win,” Coach Dohner said.

Justis also volunteers in his community in various ways including cleaning up from disc golf tournaments, setting up flags at the cemetery, bailing hay, coaching during Flag Football Day and mentoring a student at Davenport. Justis noted that he is thankful to live in such a supportive community, and it is important to him to give back to them.

Determined, caring and hard-working, Justis Bachman is the kind of person who always strives to be his best…