As the only senior of the 2025 squad, it was Johnson’s final chance to finish her career with a sectional championship.

After a dominant regular season, Johnson approached her last playoffs as the 2-seed and despite getting plenty of run support, she did not need it. Chautauqua Lake rolled Portville in the quarterfinals 13-1 and Johnson gave up just two hits, walked four batters and struck out five on top of going 4 for 4 at the plate with a home run and two RBIs.

Then in the semifinals against Randolph she received the same run support and was once again lights out, giving up just two hits with 11 strikeouts. She also went 2 for 4 with a triple and scored twice to get back into the sectional final.

Going against the top seed and knowing it would be more of a pitcher’s duel against Barker, Johnson needed to be on top of her game to finally secure a sectional title. In her previous trip to the championship the Eagles were unable to plate a run, but this time Chautauqua Lake scratched one across in the third inning.

Cayzlee Johnson’s 2025 Season: BA: .474 OBP: .492 OPS: 1.211 W-L: 15-3 ERA: 0.51 Ks: 156

Despite Johnson throwing a gem, the memory of giving up all three runs in the top of the seventh inning last year to have the title slip away added pressure to the game. It was Johnson that would relieve that pressure in the top of the seventh inning as she added to the lead with an RBI double that scored Alice Scarpine.

Leading 2-0 heading and needing only three outs, Johnson returned to the circle a final time in Section VI competition looking rejuvenated from previous innings. She set down the Barker batters 1-2-3 and finished her goal claiming the fourth sectional title in Chautauqua Lake history.

Johnson’s road to the sectional title was three wins in the circle in which she gave up a combined six hits and no earned runs, while striking out 27 batters.

What stood in the way of Johnson’s Eagles going further in the playoffs was the eventual Class C state champion Bloomfield Bombers of Section V. The Bombers defeated Chautauqua Lake in the Class C Far West Regionals 6-0 and Johnson was one of two Eagles to register a hit in the contest.

At the state level, Johnson was named a second team all-state selection by the New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization for Girls Sports. That was added to her resume of two-time Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 Player of the Year.

Chautauqua Lake’s Cayzlee Johnson is the 2025 OBSERVER/Post-Journal Player of the Year. P-J file photo by Christian Storms

Johnson retained her title as the top player in CCAA Division 2 for good reason as the Eagles won the league for the second straight season and she was dominant in both aspects of the game.

Overall in the circle, Johnson went 15-3 in her 18 starts and posted a 0.51 earned run average with six shutouts including a perfect game against Frewsburg. She held opponents to a .160 batting average, struck out 156 batters in 109 innings of work and only surrendered eight earned runs on the year.

Then at the plate she led Chautauqua Lake in several categories, including batting average at .474, on-base percentage at .492, home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage with .719.

Winning the league title, being named its top player for a second straight year and leading Chautauqua Lake to its fourth sectional title in dominant fashion are all that makes Cayzlee Johnson the 2025 OBSERVER/Post-Journal Post-Journal/OBSERVER Player of the Year.