Shoulder surgery ends season for Byron Center star

Byron Center’s Cassius Bont puts up a shot over Forest Hills Central’s Will Schepel on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Cassius Bont was laying on his couch with his arm in a sling.

It’s not where the Byron Center High School senior thought his season would end.

Bont had surgery on his left shoulder on Monday, Feb. 16, ending his high school basketball season a week before districts.

“Right now, I feel pretty good. I had surgery 11 a.m. today,” he said on Monday. “I’m in the sling for 6-to-8 weeks. I’m laying on the couch right now. I’ve been there for awhile. And I’ll probably be here for the next two or three days.”

Bont, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound shooting guard has been one of the more talented basketball players in West Michigan for several years. 

He has college offers from Albion College, Calvin University, Hope College and Trine University. 

“I’m still undecided,” Bont said.  

Bont injured his shoulder during a basketball game against Rockford on Jan. 6.

“Early against Rockford, I went up to get a rebound,” he recalled. “(A player) went behind me and my arm got pulled back. I knew right away it was out of socket. It was just kinda hanging there. I was in pain. But when (I got back to the bench), I raised my arm up and it went back into place. I was shocked it went back in.”

Even more shocking, Bont went back into the game. 

Byron Center’s Cassius Bont drives past Coopersville’s Nate DeWaal at the Cornerstone Holiday Tournament on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

But his season went in a downward spiral after that.  

Before the injury, Bont was averaging 20.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists. After he got hurt, his scoring average dropped to 11.2 points. But he still averaged 6.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists. 

“I was getting worse as the season went on,” he said. “I write with my left hand and it was throbbing just from writing.” 

Byron Center is 9-11 this season with two regular season games left this week before district play begins. 

Bont was almost more disappointed to miss the high school golf season. He played last year for the first time and was the team’s best golfer. 

“I didn’t wanna miss golf since I was so successful at that,” he said. “But I couldn’t wait until the end of the golf season to get surgery.”