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Shaye
Thomas
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Thomas humbled by all-state honors
By George Starks
NEW MADISON - Taking into consideration everything Tri-Village senior
Shaye Thomas has been awarded this basketball season, it would inflate
the egos of most.
By the end of the season, Thomas had been named MVP of the Bill Burkett
Tournament, was named Southwest District Player of the Year, was Player
of the Year in the Cross County Conference, Co-Player of the Year by
Jim Dabbelt of the Debbelt Report, scored her 1,000th point and has
been named to the District Nine all-star team, and was recently named
first team all-Ohio.
With all the accolades, Thomas takes very little credit for the honors.
“This is all good, but it’s not all about me,” said Thomas. “Without
the team I played with, none of this would have happened. With the kind
of team I played with, it allows for that kind of recognition. I’m just
thankful for the teammates I’ve had over the past two years, especially
this year. It’s not about me, but about the team. If you don’t have
them, you have nothing.”
Thomas and fellow teammate Teha Richards (Honorable Mention All-State)
started playing at a very young age. Then it got serious.
“I started playing AAU ball since I was in the third grade,” Thomas
pointed out. “It makes me feel good because my hard work has paid off
but when Coach Grey told me, my first thought was, “This isn’t me. I’m
not all-Ohio material. I’m a 5-2/5-3 point guard. I’m not the leading
scorer and I was really surprised. I’m not the person that’s going to
just go out and score 30 points on someone. I’m not the person that’s
going to go out there and school everyone I play.”
While Thomas received first team, she was also ready to talk about
Richards getting honorable mention.
“She deserved what she got but I think she deserved more,” Thomas
stated. “She really stepped up and took control this year. When Teha
wasn’t on the floor, I struggled. She was my support out there. She
really took over this year and I think she deserved more than what she
got. I think we complement each other so well. It seems like we know
what each other are thinking when we’re out on the floor together. We
were playing together at the AAU level in the fourth grade. When I’m
going to pass the ball, she makes the cut and is there. I don’t have to
let her know what I’m going to do, it’s automatic with us. She makes my
job easier.”
Thomas summed up the regional loss to Ft. Loramie, the eventual 2013
state champions.
“We knew if we didn’t box out, we were in trouble and what would
happen, and in the end, it did,” Thomas quipped. “I don’t know if we
didn’t work as hard as we should have, or just took things for granted
and got complacent, but we had a lot better year than what most people
expected.”
Thomas, Richards and Elizabeth Collins will graduate in the spring.
Thomas has a full ride to IU East for nursing while Richards will go to
Ball State and pursue a degree as an athletic trainer.
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