2008 Woodie Awards
Clarksville native returns home, ready to make impact
Michael Kellum
Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: Sports
Things have come full circle for junior forward April Thomas.
She had a successful basketball career at Northeast High School. She led her team to repeat district 10-AAA regular season and tournament titles. She was also named The Leaf-Chronicle All Area player of the year as both a junior and senior.
Thomas finished her high school career as the Eagles all time leading scorer with 1,246 points. Afterwards she accepted a scholarship to Chattanooga State Community College.
She continued her promising play at Chattanooga State despite an early setback. She missed most of her freshman season and the first part of her sophomore year with a knee injury. Thomas worked hard through the injury and was named on the 2006-07 Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association All First team.
"Nothing is guaranteed," Thomas said. "You can get hurt at any time so I might as well go hard and hope it doesn't ever happen again."
Thomas led her team to the championship game of the TJCCAA tournament averaging 9.7 ppg and 9 rpg.
When Thomas' season ended she found herself looking for a school to play basketball and realized she was a little home sick. APSU seemed like the perfect medicine for Thomas.
"I wanted to come back home because my family hasn't been able to see me play the past two years," Thomas said. "I thought it would be exciting for them to see how much I have improved since high school."
Lady Govs head coach Carrie Daniels welcomed Thomas.
"We found out about April and saw the talent that she had," Daniels said. "We are thrilled to be able to bring her back to Clarksville and to Austin Peay, we just wish we had her for more than two years."
Picked to finish ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference pre-season poll the Lady Govs are looking to prove their critics wrong and Thomas is thinking big.
"I see OVC championship banners everywhere," Thomas said. "I'm excited about this season because everybody is getting along. I think we are going to be really good this year."
She had a successful basketball career at Northeast High School. She led her team to repeat district 10-AAA regular season and tournament titles. She was also named The Leaf-Chronicle All Area player of the year as both a junior and senior.
Thomas finished her high school career as the Eagles all time leading scorer with 1,246 points. Afterwards she accepted a scholarship to Chattanooga State Community College.
She continued her promising play at Chattanooga State despite an early setback. She missed most of her freshman season and the first part of her sophomore year with a knee injury. Thomas worked hard through the injury and was named on the 2006-07 Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association All First team.
"Nothing is guaranteed," Thomas said. "You can get hurt at any time so I might as well go hard and hope it doesn't ever happen again."
Thomas led her team to the championship game of the TJCCAA tournament averaging 9.7 ppg and 9 rpg.
When Thomas' season ended she found herself looking for a school to play basketball and realized she was a little home sick. APSU seemed like the perfect medicine for Thomas.
"I wanted to come back home because my family hasn't been able to see me play the past two years," Thomas said. "I thought it would be exciting for them to see how much I have improved since high school."
Lady Govs head coach Carrie Daniels welcomed Thomas.
"We found out about April and saw the talent that she had," Daniels said. "We are thrilled to be able to bring her back to Clarksville and to Austin Peay, we just wish we had her for more than two years."
Picked to finish ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference pre-season poll the Lady Govs are looking to prove their critics wrong and Thomas is thinking big.
"I see OVC championship banners everywhere," Thomas said. "I'm excited about this season because everybody is getting along. I think we are going to be really good this year."
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