Eric Finck Athlete of the Week -- Tae Thomas

Tae Thomas' hat trick in the 7-1 Topeka High victory over Centennial League rival Emporia earns her the "Eric Finck Athlete of the Week" award.

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Thomas powered her way into a three-goal effort in the senior night win over the Emporia Spartans in her last regular season contest.

"I feel like we did great as a team," Thomas said. "We take something new we can work on and get better every game. That was a great game and it set us up well for the playoffs. We were confident coming into that game against Emporia. We played our game well and I credit my teammates for setting me up to have the three (goals)."

Topeka High was coming off of a two-game losing streak against Seaman and Washburn Rural before the loud 7-1 victory.

"We learned from those two losses offensively," Thomas said. "Every team has a different style and a unique defense. Playing those two games and learning from those losses was crucial for us. We learned from different sets and we are reading defenses better. We always talk about what we can do better and what we can fix. We are a close team and we felt those losses helped us come together. Us not playing our best offense before the Emporia game only made us stronger."

Thomas didn't waste any time on her three-goal night. Just 1:15 into the first half, Thomas was set up by teammate Luxanna Sands for her first goal of the night. 

Sands and Thomas would connect again at 13:13 in the second half. The connection between Sands and Thomas has been visible in the 2022 campaign.

Thomas credits her teammates for setting her up for her successful season filled with goals.

"I give my teammates all of the credit, Thomas said. "Being a three-sport athlete, people questioned if I was gonna play or not this season. I only want to play for my teammates. They have helped me keep my confidence up and have kept me accountable to make me better on and off of the field. Being around the soccer girls' support has uplifted me."

To finish the game off, Thomas would net a goal for the hat trick giving High a 7-1 lead which would go on to be the final.

Tae Thomas powers her way to a hat-trick in the 7-1 victory over Emporia.

This season hasn't been an easy one for Thomas and the Trojans. Even with an 11-5-0 record, it's been a bumpy road to get where they are today.

"We need to keep being confident, having fun and playing our game, Thomas said. "That good energy we had from the Emporia game will have an impact on us. We will keep finding ways to win and we are excited for what the remaining games will look like."

Up next, Topeka High (11-5-0) will host Wichita Heights at Hummer Sports Park on Wednesday night. That game will be the first round of the 6A regionals and High hopes to drive straight on this road to the state championship.

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