Editor’s Note: Coach Thomas was Tryon and PCHS basketball coach for many years, and passed away last weekend. There is a local memorial service on Saturday, March 5 at the Polk County High School gym at 3 p.m. The poem below was submitted by a former player of Coach Thomas, Shawn Suber.

Who would have ever known in 1987,
That God was sending us an angel from heaven;
Whether in the classroom or on the court,
We always had Coach’s support;
He put fear in our hearts and worked us to the bone,
But like a good step-father, he treated us like his own;
Respect, teamwork, prayer, and routine drills,
Little did we know he was teaching valuable lifelong skills;
He transitioned from Coach, to Mentor to Friend;
Although we’re experiencing a loss, God’s score determines the WIN!!!

 

– Submitted by Shawn Suber #42,
Washington, D.C., formerly of Tryon, N.C.