KUDOS FOR KIAH
Senior guard/forward letting ‘grit’ do the talking for Thornwood
Thornwood senior Kiah Johnson received a rare start Tuesday night in a game against Bloom.
Johnson responded with one of her best efforts of the season, scoring 12 points, grabbing eight rebounds andmaking three steals.
She also had a message of sorts for Thunderbirds coach Kevin Green after the 61-46 Southland Conference victory.
“Getting to start gave me a little more energy to play,” Johnson said with a smile. “I wanted to show coach that I should start all the time.
“It also made me want to show my teammates that I’m willing to domy part.”
Green? He got the message. “She played hard,” Green said. “She did all the little things. She got rebounds, she played good on the big girls, she fronted.
“These last couple of weeks we had a talk, and she’s totally committed.”
Johnson, a 5-foot-4 guard/forward, is averaging eight points, five rebounds and one steal for Thornwood (18-8, 12-1).
As a freshman, she played on the sophomore team. As a sophomore, she was pulled up to the varsity.
Itwasn’t just natural talent that kept her a step ahead of her class.
“When we pulled her up as a sophomore, it was because of her grit,” Green said. “She was willing to do the dirty work that nobody elsewould do.”
Johnson came off the bench during her junior season as the senior-strong Thunderbirds finished with a 26-3 record and won a regional title.
“It was a little frustrating last season trying to show what I could do,” Johnson said. “I was among people who had a little more experience and a lot more size.
“I was more of a defensive player, and I had to learn to be more of an offensive player. Iwant to show that I can score and get around people and move people withmy strength.”
Meet and greet: Hillcrest’s visit to Hillcrest Baptist Church to distribute nonperishable food and household items to the needy came about thanks to two caring individuals.
Hillcrest Baptist pastor Adron Robinson told of a chance meeting he had with Hawks coach Ed Schodrof during the summer.
“It was kind of funny, actually,” Robinson said. “I was driving to church one morning and saw the girls out running for conditioning. WhenI turned to the churchthere was a car on the side of the road with a guy sitting in it.
“I was kind of looking out for the girls, so I pulled up and asked who he was. It turned out it was coach Ed, who was there protecting them. We’ve been keeping up with each other ever since. He reached out to me about doing some community service.”
The church holds the distribution on a monthly basis. The event is coordinated by Eric Summerville, leader of the church’s manna ministry.
The Hillcrest team has visited twice, the second time on Jan. 11. The Hawks were joined that day by the girls and coaches from Stagg.
Afterward, the two teams played a game.
Robinson said the two teams distributed items to approximately 100 community members in need.
“Itwas great that the girls came out because it was all generations coming together for a common cause,” Robinson said. “It was good for the teenage girls to spend time with the seniors and it was good for the seniors to spend time with the teenagers.
“It was a blessing for the community.”
The most free throws made in a game by a Southland player occurred during the 1994-95 season. Homewood-Flossmoor’s LaurenV-alente hit 24 of 31 in a game against Providence-St. Mel.
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