Thomason making most of return to sideline

Jerry Thomason was working his farm and checking cattle in retirement when the call came to coach the girls’ basketball team at Valley Springs.

“I really don’t know how it happened to tell you the truth,” Thomason said. “When Coach (Kim) Jenkins left to go to Springdale Har-Ber, they had a few people apply. This was in July. Then they called me and asked me if I’d coach the girls for a year, so here I am.”

The Lady Tigers were a state powerhouse under Jenkins, and they’ve picked up right where she left it. Valley Springs is 26-7 and the No. 2 seed in the 3A-1 East behind Mountain View. The Lady Tigers will take on Green Forest in the first round of the conference tournament on Monday.

Thomason coached for more than 40 years at Valley Springs and NorthArk College before retiring to work on his farm. Or so he thought. When the Valley Springs administration called him, they had a couple of aces up their sleeve to coax him off the tractor.

“I have two granddaughters on the team, and they said, ‘How can you not coach your granddaughters?’” Thomason said. “So they had me.”

Alyssa Carr, a senior forward, and sophomore Chloe Avery are Thomason’s granddaughters.

Thomason has always lived in Valley Springs and was involved in the peewee basketball program, so he already knew most of the players. This is also his first foray into coaching girls basketball.

“I think I might have coached a couple of girls games way back when,” he said.

He is quick to credit Jenkins for leaving him a veteran team that he’s made just a few tweaks with.

Thomason is not sure if he’ll continue to coach after this season, but he has his team primed for a deep playoff run.

“I just want the girls to play hard and bring glory to this school,” he said.