Water polo: - pages 11-12
KIRA OCHOA
Volume 22. Issue 5
inside
November 7, 2011
Thebreezeonline.com
Panthers mourn loss of young coach
Pizza with the presidents page 3 Homeless art page 6 Theatre for Rent Page 9 Dream Act: Pros & Cons Page 10 Water polo coach retires Page 12
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Assistant Coach Stevon Thomas observes scrimmage plays with some defensive players during summer school football class. The former Panther defensive star later played for Northern Arizona before joining the Chaffey coaching staff this year. Thomas died Oct. 31.
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ssistant football coach and Panther alumnus Stevon Thomas died in the early hours of Oct. 31 from unknown causes. He was 23. “We gave the players Monday to reflect a little bit on it, and we really didn’t really do anything other than make that announcement,” Coach Carl Beach said. “The next day we just tried to redirect that energy and emotion on what he would of wanted us to focus on which is to go out and play hard.” Thomas, who began his football career as a Cougar linebacker at Norco High School, was in his first year coaching here for the Panthers. As a member of the Cougars, he set a school record with a 155 tack-
les his senior year, which resulted in his being awarded the Mountain View League and CIF Division V Defensive Player of the Year award. He also led the Cougars to three CIF title game appearances before he graduated in 2006. Upon graduation, Thomas turned his sights to the Panther football program and continued his stellar career by playing for Beach’s squad in the 2006-’07 seasons. He earned first team All-Foothill Conference honors as a sophomore and received a scholarship to play at Northern Arizona University where he served as team captain his senior year. “Stevon was a little bit short and undersized, and he had to make up the difference with tenacity and will,” Beach said. “He did make it up because he was that
kind of player. Whatever he lacked in size he definitely made up for it with will and character.” Beach said Thomas represented the best of what Chaffey offers: a successful student-athlete who received a scholarship to move on. “He was basically a model for that.” Thomas became an assistant coach for Pacific High School in San Bernardino in 2010. He then returned to the Panthers but in the capacity of an assistant coach. “We were going through some real coaching changes defensively, so I thought it would be a good fit for him,” said Beach. “He’s played here so he knows our level and I thought he would bring some energy and he did.” Continued on page 11