Coach Joe Thomas: Proof that hard work and perseverance pay off
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — If you are in search of a place to watch one of the best high school football teams or see upcoming football stars at their best, then the best place to go is the Buena High School football home ground. The Buena High School football team has turned out to be one of the best high school football teams in Arizona.
The Colts, as the football team is called, has in recent times become a team that no one wants to play against because when it comes to producing one of the best football masterclasses, they are the ones to go for.
However, this has not always been the case. The Colts’ glory today can be mainly credited to one man, Coach Joe Thomas.
Thomas was brought in as the head coach of the Buena High School football team after the 2014 season, at which point the football team was almost at point zero, finishing 3-8 and coming last in the 5A South Region.
The athletic department at Buena High School was created to foster an environment that gives students opportunities to enrich their high school experience through participation in athletics, and Coach Thomas seems to be the one to help the school achieve that.
Thomas, 37, was born in 1984 and graduated from Tombstone High School. Before he was appointed the Buena Colts football coach, he was the coach of his alma mater’s football team for three years with a record of 11-19. Additionally, he was the assistant coach of the Yellow Jackets and was appointed head coach of the same team later. With all these experiences and more, one might doubt Thomas’ ability to deliver.
He started his reign in the 2015 season and led the Buena Colts through 10 games. Unfortunately, he didn’t win a single game with the team. In the 2016 season, the hope that he would reverse the Colts’ losing streak went unanswered. He played another 10 games in the 2016 season and lost not just one but the entire 10 games.
At this point, Thomas’ record with the Buena Colts was 0-20. It was like worsening an already bad situation. Thomas had a big problem in the team because most players’ parents were military personnel stationed at Fort Huachuca. As such, most of the players leave as soon as their parents are transferred.
In his first game in the 2017 season, Thomas continued with his losing streak as he lost the season opener game at home against Tucson. This was enough for the management to sack him, but they didn’t.
“We lost every game for two years. The kids made me want to stay. We’ve got some good kids here. I didn’t want to give up on them,” Coach Thomas said regarding why he stayed even though he had two consecutive awful seasons without a win.
As they say, good things happen to patient people. While others were busy looking down on the Colts, Thomas was busy building a system within the group that would stand the test of time.
On Aug. 25, 2017, the new Buena Colts were unveiled. They played their second game against the Flowing Wells and won the game 14-7, a team they previously lost to 48-13. This win became Thomas’ first win as a coach with the Colts after two seasons.
Fortunately, Coach Thomas’ newly found success didn’t end there. His team went on to win five more games that season. They ended the season 6-4 with the hope of making the playoffs for the first time in four years. They also finished as one of the top 20 teams in the 5A Conference, and Coach Thomas was named the 5A Southern All-Region Coach of the Year.
“Without a question he (Thomas) was the obvious choice,” Coach Patrick Nugent, the Cienega High School football coach, said on the nomination of Thomas as Coach of the Year. “For the turnaround of the program after going 0-10 for the last two years.”
In the 2018 season, Thomas won five more games and had five losses. The 2019 season was his best season, as his team had eight wins and only three losses. Eventually, he took the Colts to their first Class 5A playoffs in over five years and won all two games in the 2020 season against San Tan Valley Combs and Paradise Valley with 33-20 and 58-6, respectively, before the season was canceled due to COVID-19.
With the Buena Colts football team, Coach Thomas has proved that one can achieve anything through hard work, perseverance and consistency.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
