They're BIG BAMA fans....JVW
No one's doubting Oxford's Thomas
By Shannon Fagan
Star Sports Writer
11-17-2004
Oxford's freshman quarterback Derek Thomas has not crumbled
under the pressure of Class 5A football this season. Instead, he has led the
Yellow Jackets to seven wins in eight starts and into the second round of
the playoffs. Photo: Trent Penny/The Anniston Star
OXFORD - The folks in Oxford have been buzzing about freshman
quarterback Derek Thomas being the young phenom of the future.
For Thomas, the future is now.
After a plague of injuries that beset the Yellow Jackets (9-2) early
this season, head coach Mike Justice was forced to call Thomas up from the
ranks and throw him into the fire.
That was nine weeks ago.
Now, Thomas and the Yellow Jackets have a playoff win under their
belts and are preparing to take on Buckhorn (8-3) Friday night in the second
round.
For most kids, being put into a position like that would make them
feel overwhelmed and maybe they would crumble under the pressures of facing
Class 5A and 6A teams. Not Thomas.
Since being thrust into the starting quarterback role, the Yellow
Jackets are 7-1 with Thomas as their signal-caller.
Not bad for someone who never had any intentions of playing the
position.
"I played maybe a month of ninth grade, so I went from an eighth-grade
game to 6A Clay-Chalkville," Thomas said. "There's a big difference there.
People asked me if I was nervous. Most people would have been, but I just
went out there and played. It really wasn't that nerve-racking because there
wasn't a lot expected out of me."
Thomas completed 9 of 20 for 125 yards and a touchdown in that game, a
33-7 loss.
The following week against Pinson Valley, Thomas connected with
receiver Desmond Newton on an 83-yard touchdown pass late in the game to
help seal a 25-22 win.
Initially, the Oxford coaches were expecting Thomas to keep them going
until starting quarterback Jono Waugh returned from a fractured fibula.
Waugh did return briefly and saw limited action against Boaz, but Thomas
kept on wowing the Oxford coaches while Waugh continued to struggled with
injuries. Against Boaz, Thomas passed for two touchdowns and ran for another
in a 38-0 win.
Oxford offensive coordinator Bryant Smith said he knew Thomas was
talented, but didn't realize he would come on like he has.
"He's just a kid that has a lot of confidence," said Smith. "He's one
of those guys that you put any pressure on him and he accepts it. He doesn't
act like a young kid, but of course he makes those young kind of mistakes
just like anybody else would. He's really done a lot more than what we ever
thought he'd do."
Thomas credits his teammates for their success and for taking him
under their wings. He said they've kept him calm.
"It helps me out a lot," said Thomas. "A lot of them come talk to me
before the game. It really helps me relax and play better. I just try to
keep playing the way I have. I'm not really thinking about it. I just go out
there and play every week and do what I've got to do."
Something else that has helped Thomas throughout the season is the
confidence that Justice has in him to do the job.
"Having the confidence from him really makes me play a lot better,"
Thomas said. "If he didn't have confidence in me, then my game would just go
downhill from there. Having that faith in me really helps."
Thomas originally thought he would follow in his brother Chase's
footsteps, playing as a safety. He never dreamed he'd be in the position he
is today.
"It's kind of a funny story how I became a quarterback," Thomas said.
"When I started in seventh grade, I played on defense because my brother
(Chase) was a safety and that's what I was going to be. Then, the coach came
to me and told me they needed a quarterback. I was like, 'I don't know.' I
told him, "I'm not a quarterback. I just got in and started playing and here
I am."
Smith said Thomas has handled himself very well.
"We've tried to bring him in slow, try to do things not to get him in
trouble where he has to make all of the decisions," Smith said. "The team
has really been the ones to take care of him. They've rallied around him. We
knew he was going to be good. We just didn't think it was going to be this
soon."
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