Schuckman: Thomas takes place among QHS legends by rising to top of rebounding charts

QUINCY — Keshaun Thomas discovered remaining stoic was no easy chore.

Prior to the tip of Saturday night’s game against Quincy Notre Dame at Blue Devil Gym, the Quincy High School boys basketball coaching staff decided to honor the 6-foot-6 senior forward for becoming the school’s all-time leading rebounder, a mark established 44 seasons ago by Hall of Famer Michael Payne.

Not only did they present Thomas with a commemorative basketball and a framed poster, but they put together a video of well wishes and congratulations from the top four players on QHS’s career rebounding chart and a couple of Thomas’ family members.

Thomas watched intently as the video played on the videoboard at the north end of the gym, shifting from side to side but never taking his eyes off the screen.

Until his mom popped up there.

“It was very emotional,” Thomas said. “I almost dropped a tear.”

He fought it off, but marveled at how Payne, Bruce Douglas, Keith Douglas, Dennis Douglas and Richard “Beanie” Hickman chose to offer their thoughts on his accomplishment.

“So many legends up there,” Thomas said.

He’s passed them all, collecting his record-breaking 726th rebound during last Friday night’s Western Big 6 Conference victory at United Township.

“Being able to be on top of that list means so much to me,” Thomas said.

But he never expected to see their faces come across the videoboard.

“I didn’t know anything at all,” Thomas said. “I was so surprised when I saw that video pop up. Then I see my mom on there and I’m like, ‘Oh, wow.’”

Still, he kept it together, refusing to let the emotion of the moment derail the Blue Devils in the challenge ahead. Nothing was going to do that as QHS, ranked second in the state in Class 4A, steamrolled its way to a 70-40 victory to carry a 9-0 record into the Christmas holiday.

“It was a great moment for me and for the team,” Thomas said of his record recognition. “To be able to do that at the beginning of the game meant a lot, but you have to switch right into game mode. That’s exactly what we did.”

Expecting that to be the case, QHS coach Andy Douglas didn’t worry about the night getting hijacked by too much emotion, even if it was the crosstown showdown.

“If he and we weren’t as mature as we are, maybe not,” Douglas said. “It’s too big of an accomplishment to pass on. I wish it would have happened here. For us to be able to celebrate him like we did before the game gives him the recognition he deserves.”

Clearly, he’s earned it.

“Every day he earns it,” Douglas said. “He works as hard as anyone to improve, to be tougher, to be more aggressive, to be the best rebounder on the floor.”

It’s put him on top of the charts, too.