Hardwood’s finest

Love of the game, mom’s motivation molded Thomas into an elite player:

Arkeiyanah Thomas has been playing basketball for most of her life.
That love of the game and her number one motivator, her mom, is a big reason why she has developed into one of the best players around the area.
“I started playing basketball when I was six years old,” said Thomas. “My mom put me into the EPYB program and I just fell in love with the game. Ever since then, I wanted to get better and better.”
The senior guard has come a long way since that time. Thomas stuck with the game throughout her EPYB days and has improved every year, even getting the chance to play on the high school team her eighth grade year.
“When she started playing for me, she was rough around the edges,” said Mamou head coach Mark Temple. “However, I knew that she could be something special. I worked really hard with her to get her to be a good player and an even better team leader. She has come a long way since she first walked on the court and played for me.”
If you ask Thomas, she is very realistic about her talent and how it was that she became the player she is today. For that she gives a ton of credit to Temple.
“I really did not think I was that good in EPYB and in junior high,” said Thomas. “It wasn’t until Coach Temple came that I really was able to become a better player. He really showed me what it takes to be good on and off the court.”
Thomas had to transition really quickly from junior high to high school basketball. According to her, it was an eye-opening experience the first time she stepped onto the hardwood as a high school player.
“In junior high, it was not really hard for me,” stated Thomas. “When I started playing high school ball, I realized that everybody was good. The game was much faster and I was a lot younger than most of the other players. Playing against juniors and seniors was tough because they had a lot more experience.”
Thomas and the Lady Demons had a stellar season. Mamou not only won an outright district title, but made a trip to the quarterfinals; something that had not been done since 1997.
For her effort on the court, Thomas was named the MVP of District 4-2A. She averaged over 18 points and seven assists per game.
The senior proved her all-around skills by also averaging seven assists and three steals per game.
“It was a great feeling for us as a team to accomplish what we did this year,” commented Thomas. “We have been playing together for the last four years and wanted to go out as winners. I was so happy with how we played this season.”
But, for Thomas, all of the things she has been able to accomplish since she was six years old was because of one loyal fan, her mother.
“My mom is my number one fan,” stated Thomas. “She has been there for me my whole life. Every time I was down, she was there to pick me up. Every time we won, she was there to cheer me on and to congratulate me.”
Thomas will need all the encouragement from now on, as she hopes to go to college next as a full time student.

Edwards did not allow his late start derail his development into a star:

By: TRACEY JAGNEAUX
Sports Editor

For a player that has done all the things he had to do this past season, one would think that Russell Edwards Jr. has been playing basketball all of his life.
Not true for this year’s Parish MVP.
Edwards did not get his start playing basketball until he was in the sixth grade.
“My mom did not let me play EPYB when I was younger,” said Edwards. “She was afraid I was going to get hurt. So, I really did not start playing until I was a little older.”
Edward’s first disappointment in the world of basketball came in his seventh grade year. That year he was told that he was not good enough to make the junior high team.
“The junior high coach told me that I did not make the team my seventh grade year,” said Edwards. “When I went home and told my mom, she said that I just needed to work harder. So, I began working with an AAU coach, Cal Davis, and he helped me develop my game.”
Edwards made the junior high team his eighth-grade year, after some very hard work.
Edwards had some reservations about playing in high school, but Mamou head coach John Jack persuaded him to come out.
As a freshman, Edwards got a chance to start after the fourth game of the season. It was a tough transition for the young player, as he had to learn how to play tough very quickly.
“The first time I played against Mike Thomas from Ville Platte, the hype was around him,” said Edwards. “He was good. That taught me that if I was going to want to continue starting for us that I would have to tougher. It just motivated me to get better.”
There is no doubt that he has gotten better.
The junior center was named to the first team all-district squad this past season and helped lead the Demons to the district title and a first round playoff game.
Edwards averaged 14.5 points and 15.8 rebounds per game. But it was his prowess on the defensive end that made playing against him so difficult, as Edwards averaged three blocks per game.
Demon head coach John Jack still remembers Edwards as that awkward kid in junior high and how he has now developed to be a solid player.
“The first time I saw Russell, he walked past me at lunch and I thought to myself, boy that is a big kid,” said Jack. “At the time, there were a lot of people that did not believe that he would develop into a good player. But, I sat down with him and told him not to listen to what the people say. I said that years from now those same people will be singing a different tune.”
“He has really developed into a great talent,” continued Jack. “The thing that has impressed me the most ever since his freshman year is his shot blocking ability. He knows how to control his body well.”
Edwards knows that he needs to continue to improve if he wants to take his game to the next level.
“I definitely need to get stronger in the offseason,” said Edwards. “Also, I will need to improve on free throws.”