Every time I watched Bainbridge High School girls’ basketball player April Thomas perform her outstanding ball handling and driving and shooting skills on the court this past season, one old saying flashed into my mind.

That old saying, simply stated, was that dynamite comes in small packages.

While she stands only 5 feet, 3 inches, Thomas is dynamite on the basketball court. Opposing defenses simply could not handle her tremendous full-court quickness with the dribble.

An article in today’s issue chronicles how her great play earned her two MVP awards while leading her Southwest Georgia Senior All-Star teams to Friday and Saturday victories over Albany Area Senior All-Star teams in Albany. She also won a three point shooting contest on Friday.

In the All-Star games, just as during her Lady Cats playing career, Thomas was cool under pressure. She led by example on and off the court.

While her biggest assets were her speed and quickness, she could also slow down the tempo when the game situation called for it. She was always in control.

Thomas is not only an outstanding basketball player. She is also an outstanding all-around athlete.

As a sophomore and junior, she was a leader on the girls’ cross country team and this past fall, she was one of the top hitters on the Lady Cats softball team.

Now that her BHS basketball season—during which she earned first-team All-Region 1AAAA honors—is complete, she is using her speed and quickness to help the BHS girls’ soccer team.

In my position as sports editor of this fine newspaper for the past 40 years, I have talked with and interviewed many coaches and they all agree on one thing.

Simply put, it is that you must get your most outstanding boy and girl athletes into as many different sports as you can.

As a major contributor in basketball, cross country, softball and soccer during her four years as a Bainbridge High School student athlete, Thomas definitely fits that mold.

She is an outstanding, dedicated hard working player on the court and an even better person off the court. Her signature smile makes everybody feel better.

In the near future, she will be signing a basketball scholarship with a college or university to continue her academic and basketball careers.

The school which she chooses will be very fortunate. They will be getting an outstanding student athlete.

I am looking forward to keeping up with her college basketball career. I am sure she will continue to make Bainbridge and Decatur County sports fans proud.

I feel fortunate to have covered her high school sports career.