MARS HILL, Maine — With 2:02 left in the third quarter of Tuesday’s varsity basketball game at Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School, Panther senior guard Ben Thomas made history and joined some select company in the process.
Thomas became the 15th boy and 25th overall player from the school to reach the 1,000-point mark. He hit the milestone on a driving layup for this 30th and 31st points of the game against Greater Houlton Christian Academy.
Thomas finished with 35 points in the 73-70 overtime victory and now has 1,005 for his career entering Friday’s game at Fort Fairfield.
He joins his coach, Jason Woodworth, his cousins Andrew York and Cameron York, and Chaz Nicholas, Craig Allen, Tim Brewer, Derek Townsend, Matt Townsend, Shane Bradstreet, Kris Weeks, Brian Grew, Tim Carlson, Caleb Kelly and Manny Martinez as the only Panther boys players to score 1,000 points.
“Ben has put in a lot of work over the years and spent countless hours in the gym and deserves every accomplishment that comes his way,” Woodworth said. “I would argue that he is the best pure shooter to ever come through the school.”
Woodworth said Thomas came in as a freshman ready to produce, and he hasn’t stopped. He said that Thomas now has a larger goal of being part of a championship team and with the Panthers being the current No. 1 team in Class C North, has an opportunity to accomplish that.
“Ben and I have discussed how 1,000 points is a nice accomplishment, but doesn’t define one’s career. What does is being remembered as a champion and I think that is how he wants to be remembered,” Woodworth said.
“Make no mistake about it,” the coach said. “Ben will always be in the discussion as one of the greats in Central Aroostook boys’ basketball history.”
