Bacon County High School Forward, Center Makayla Thomas Voted ITG Next’s December 2024 Georgia Female Athlete of the Month
Bacon County High School basketball player Makayla Thomas is ITG Next’s December 2024 Georgia Female Athlete of the Month.
Thomas, a sophomore, plays at forward and center for the Red Raiders.
She leads her team and Region 1 in Class 1A-Division I in blocked shots, rebounds, and double-doubles; is currently the second-leading scorer on her team; and ranks fourth overall in scoring in the region.
Thomas actually ranks near the top across all classifications in the state in blocked shots and rebounds. She’s currently ranked at No. 2 in GHSA girls basketball overall with an average of 7.2 blocks per game and ranked at No. 9 in the state in rebounds.
Crystal Thomas, Makayla Thomas’ mother, has coached her daughter in the past and now mentors the sophomore as she continues to excel at the high school level. Crystal Thomas said that although her daughter has played softball in the past, basketball is now the focus.
“Makayla began playing basketball at the age of 8, and that is her main sport,” Crystal Thomas said. “If she isn’t playing school basketball, she is playing and practicing with her AAU team.”
Makayla Thomas played AAU ball with Cam Sports Academy this past spring, but Crystal Thomas said her daughter will likely transition to a different team in 2025.
Sug Parker, the athletic director and girls basketball head coach for Bacon County High School, first arrived at the school when Makayla Thomas was an eighth-grader. Parker said he could tell right away that she possessed all the qualities of a great player.
“The first thing I noticed was her height; she was tall for an eighth-grader,” Parker said. “But then I began to see her willingness to work hard and do whatever it took to get better. She was not afraid to work hard.”
Now as a sophomore for the 7-3 Bacon County team, Makayla Thomas is versatile on the court and plays several roles for the team, according to Parker.
“She can play forward and center,” he said. “She plays both positions and takes care of our rebounds, and she’s our main shot-blocker. She can also put the ball in the basket. Makayla is our rim-to-rim protector.
“She has a very bright road ahead of her. Once her playing days in high school are over, she will have the opportunity to play for any school (college) she wants to.”
Like any good coach, Parker gave much of the credit for Makayla Thomas’ development and success to her mother.
“Makayla’s mom has always taken her to training and camps and made sure she has every opportunity to continue to become a more complete player,” Parker said.
It sounds like Makayla Thomas is on her way to becoming just that.
