Rich Township’s Kavon Ammons saw his past and present collide with dramatic clarity.
The senior guard stood on the opposite side of the court from many of his closest friends from Thornwood, the school where he played his first two years before transferring.
“I know their whole team, their strengths and their weaknesses,” said Ammons, who has been a perfect fit for the Raptors. “I was telling our guys what this guard or that player was going to do.
“I knew all of their tendencies and how they like to play.”
The 6-foot-2 Ammons made a bunch of plays Wednesday night, finishing with 10 points for the host Raptors in a 61-52 win over Thornwood in a Class 4A Rich Township Regional semifinal game in Richton Park.
Senior guard Jamson Coulter converted five 3-pointers in scoring 32 points as ninth-seeded Rich Township (18-12) advanced to play at 7 p.m. Friday in the regional final against second-seeded Marist (27-5), which beat Shepard 69-34 in the other semifinal.
Sophomore guard Mekhi Young scored 15 of his 19 points in the third quarter for seventh-seeded Thornwood (21-10).
Despite not scoring in the first half, Ammons demonstrated a rare talent for impacting the game. He played air-tight defense and showed off his connection with Coulter, who scored 17 points.
Junior forward Taijon Eaton, who had seven points and six rebounds, praised Ammons.
“Von is just that great senior leader, on and off the floor,” Eaton said. “He’s one of those players who wants it. He’s a great competitor who is always trying to be the best he can be.”
Rich Township coach Lou Adams pointed out that Ammons’ ability to pressure the ball and guard multiple positions helps shut down opposing teams.
“He’s just an athlete,” Adams said. “Sometimes, he guards up to power forwards. With the ball in his hands, he has developed on knowing how to get to his sweet spots on the floor.”
Junior guard Jordan Johnson ended up with eight points for Thornwood. Ammons made him work for everything.
“I take pride in my defense,” Ammons said. “I don’t want anybody to score on me. I like to play free and let the game come to me. I like to get steals and push the attack to the offensive side.”
After starting for Thornwood as a sophomore, Ammons was vindicated by his decision to transfer by playing a crucial role as the Raptors took fourth place in the state.
“It was tough coming to a roster with five dudes who played hard and really knew how to play basketball,” he said. “I found my way on the court playing defense and doing the little things nobody else wanted to do.”
Growing up, Ammons split his time between basketball and baseball.
“I started playing basketball when I was about 3 and baseball probably two years later,” he said. “I was a utility man in baseball. It’s what I loved doing the most when I wasn’t playing basketball.”
In basketball, Ammons has the size to post up smaller players and also be a playmaker or play off the ball. He doesn’t want to be typecast, though. His personality depends on the situation.
His nickname with his friends off the court is “Mr. Nonchalant.”
“I think of myself as pretty outgoing, but I think for people who don’t know me, I sound kind of quiet,” Ammons said. “Sports are very important. When I’m on the court, I’m a different person.”
The Raptors went 3-1 against Thornwood this season. Wednesday night’s moment was bittersweet for Ammons, who watched several of closest friends see their season end.
“We talked about it before the game, and I told them no matter how it goes that I love them,” he said. “I told them this was that outcome and it had to happen.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.