From tearing up the football field as varsity quarterback to appearing in the school calendar as Mr. September to committing to Rice University, senior Cole Thomas is on top of the world.

The two-year quarterback is excited about being this year’s starting quarterback after starting 12 games last year as a junior. As his career at Cinco Ranch winds down he has hopes of beating Katy and having a great last year in high school before attending Rice. Thomas has played football his entire life. He has grown up around many of the same kids who he currently plays on varsity with. During this time Thomas’ improvements have been evident.

“Cole has really gotten his reads down. He knows what the defense is doing before the snap and when and where the ball needs to be without forcing throws,” senior, and fellow team mate Joey Waid said.

Last season Thomas gained important knowledge on how to lead the team. He feels that playing quarterback allows him to show these leadership skills.

“I like the leadership and responsibility and I feel like I have handled that well,” Thomas said.

Don Clayton, who has been Cole’s head football coach for the past three years, also has high hopes for him.

“Cole has done a very good job of handling the pressure,” Clayton said.  “Starting 12 games as quarterback last year certainly helped, but Cole is a mature young man who is serious about what he does.”

As the quarterback, Thomas is trusted by his teammates to make the right decision.

“Cole is a great leader and has really taken control of the offense and the team as a whole,“  Waid said.

Though Thomas is currently the quarterback, he will be a safety at Rice. But because he has played both positions, Thomas is confident he can handle the adjustment.

“The change will definitely be tough but I have played safety before, I will just need to re-learn the position.” Thomas said.

Even though Thomas was interested in other schools such as Texas A&M, TCU, SMU, and Baylor, he felt as if Rice had the most to offer not only for sports, but also academically.

“It was such a good academic opportunity I didn’t feel like I could pass it up,” Thomas said. “I visited there and I could see myself fitting in.”

Thomas’ team mates recognize his exemplary talent and are nothing but happy for their friend as he prepares to begin a new part of his life.

“Cole has a great work ethic and he more than deserves to take his skills to the Division 1 Level at Rice University,” Linebacker John Liner said.

Not only is Thomas a great football player, he is a great friend as well.

“Cole genuinely cares about his teammates. He is a very good and strong leader for this team that type of maturity is hard to find,” Clayton said.

For his senior year Thomas hopes to beat Katy and lead the team to playoffs.

“Hopefully we beat Katy this year and then advance deep into the playoffs which is the goal” Thomas said.

As Thomas ends his career at Cinco and starts a new one at Rice no one is surprised with how strong Thomas has started off the season.

“He has used his experiences from his junior year to start out strong this year. He is definitely more confident this year then he was last year,” Clayton said.

Next year will be a brand new start for Thomas. After playing quarterback for two years, Thomas will likely stay off the field as a freshman to mentally prepare for years to come.

“I will have to learn how to balance studies with football in college but that comes with time. I hope to be successful at the next level” Thomas said.