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Coach Fox's photo in graphic provided by the fine folks at PCS Cheerleading
The key to Micah Lavender's success is somewhat simple, yet it doesn't include a basketball season at all. Lavender, who led Peoria Christian farther than any other PCS school had before this season, made his best steps in the summer. "Each summer he made huge steps." said PCS Head Coach Fred Fox. But Fox believed Lavender's maturation didn't happen overnight, it happened over two summers. "Between his sophomore and junior years is when he started to turn heads." Fox said. "But it was between his junior and senior year when he really learned how to become a team member." Lavender, according to Fox, learned the inerrancies of the team. "He certainly learned the team concept that summer." Fox commented. "But he learned when to find people, when to take the clutch shot, and really all the things it takes to be a smart ball player." Lavender, throughout the season, turned heads, mainly those of his defenders as they watched him blow by. "His crossover is outstanding." said Fox. "He has great hesitation, and he breaks down the defender and finds the seam so well." Lavender used that to his advantage as he averaged 15.4 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, and just under two assists as the Chargers finished 4th in Class A this season.
Fox recalls some of the Millikin University Supersectional game against Pleasant Plains. "Micah really came up big. In that game, the guy guarding Matt Bryant (the prolific Plains scorer) got screened. Micah rotated really fast and made a key stop of him. It was huge." Lavender's defense was much unheralded throughout the season. Lavender who is 6' on a team with no player taller than 6'2" was often forced to guard a man much bigger than he. "He was probably never matched up right." said Fox. "He got stuck a lot of the time on a team's 4. But he got good position, never complained, and accepted his role. That's the sign of a great player." Lavender led the Chargers in rebounding this season. Offensively, though, is where Lavender's talents truly lie. "He does a great job of creating offense." said Fox. "He scored quite a bit, but he always knew that he wasn't the first perimeter shot." Lavender sometimes just fit in on a team that started a group of five seniors who had been together since the seventh grade. There was no need for a leader on this team, just a group of players who all had their own job to do. "Micah had quite a locker room presence." said Fox. "And his dedication to the team was something special." But beyond basketball, which, when the day is over, is just a game, Lavender has much to be proud of. "The kid's got no fear." said Fox. "And I love that about him." Lavender's work inside the classroom has earned him a 3.2 grade point average. Most of all, though, Lavender is most simply put, a good kid. "He's got such a pleasant demeanor." said Fox. "His smile lights up a room, and he really has the spiritual aspect of his life in check, and that's important." Fox has one comment that stands out about the way Lavender leads life: "It's all about fun." Pair that with the hard work, the dedication, and the talent, and you have yourself an IllinoisHighSchoolSports.com Athlete of the Month! The Lavender File
Birthday: April 26,
1986
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Possibly the most remarkable thing in the season
was the run the Chargers made in the postseason. Peoria Christian, in only
their sixth year of IHSA eligibility, had never reached farther than the
sectional tournament. But all of that changed with the 2004 group. Some of
their wins came in remarkable fashion. Lavender had some huge games in the
postseason. He scored 28 in the Regional Final against Prairie Central, 16
in the Sectional Semifinal against Bureau Valley, and 25 in the Sectional
Final against Hall.
