Lincoln-Way Central’s Micah Evans has a job description that sounds simple but it’s pretty tough.
The 6-foot-4 senior forward is tasked with being a bruiser in the lane.
“My job is to be the toughest guy out there,” Evans said of his embracing a team-first role for the Knights. “I need to be strong inside and make it easy for the other guys.
“If I score, it’s a bonus.”
Evans provided plenty of bonus points Saturday. He scored eight points to go with 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots in a 49-44 nonconference win over host Oak Forest.
Nick Brzezniak led Lincoln-Way Central (14-6) with 12 points, while Mark Ziesmer added nine off the bench. Alex Panos scored nine points in the first half but did not return after being injured.
Panos, a senior guard, exited with 2:59 remaining in the second quarter with a left ankle injury. The Knights sat him the rest of the game as a precautionary measure. He should be back soon.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries and sickness this year,” Lincoln-Way Central coach Brian Flaherty said. “I think it’s going to pay off down the road because a lot of players are getting experience.”
Gary Manso and Aiden Barnett each scored 12 points for Oak Forest (15-7), which trailed 21-4 early in the second quarter before chipping away at the deficit. The Bengals couldn’t get closer than the final score.
Evans, meanwhile, wants to wrap things up with a big push at the end of the season. He’s giving up up basketball to pursue an education degree at Illinois State.
He said he hopes to land a job as a team manager for the Redbirds.
“He’s one of a kind,” Flaherty said of Evans. “I could coach until I retire and not have another kid like that. I’ve never had a player like him in my 25 years of coaching.”
Flaherty pointed out that Evans is a “Renaissance man” who has a ton of varied interests. He’s involved in several clubs at Lincoln-Way Central.
And that tough guy persona? It stays on the court.
“A lot of people get the wrong idea about him,” Flaherty said of Evans. “They see him on the court playing physical, and off the court, he is one of the nicest people you would want to meet.”
Ziesmer, who was playing his second game back after suffering an injury in football, also appreciates Evans’ vocal leadership during practices and games.
In the third quarter Saturday, Evans went up to block a shot and was called for a foul. He believed that he had all ball on the sequence.
“I thought it was a play that I could put on my highlight film,” Evans said.
Afterward, Evans’ eyes got wide and his mouth formed into a big O. He calmed down, however, because he didn’t want to show up the officials.
Evans actually spends time umpiring youth games.
When he was named student of the month for August-September at Lincoln-Way Central, English teacher Brianna Korczak wrote about Evans’ calm demeanor when nominating him.
“During a playoff game last spring, an adult fan was loud and rude about a call,” she wrote. “Micah handled himself with grace and addressed the fan firmly but fairly.
“The parents sitting around me were impressed by his poise and how he dealt with the situation.”
That’s why he cut short his reaction in the heat of the moment after the foul against Oak Forest.
“I know what it’s like to be on that side of it,” Evans said. “I thought it was a block. He saw it as a foul. It was called a foul, so it was a foul. There’s no need for drama.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.