For all the changes Demopolis High sports have experienced over the years, there remains one true constant along the sidelines and dugouts of Tiger games. Athletic director Tom Causey called him “the truest fan you’ll ever meet in any sports program.” That seems an apt description for a man whose time in the Player of the Week spotlight is long overdue.

Albert “Cangood” Thomas is among the first to arrive and the last to leave Demopolis athletic practices and functions.

“He’s there until 2 in the morning on Friday nights,” Causey said. “He goes to ever road game. We take for granted how much he does.”

Thomas executes assorted functions for Tiger athletics. His efforts range from sweeping the gym to setting up equipment for practices to filling water bottles for the players. Embraced by coaches, fans and players, the Demopolis staple carries out each task with a diligence as unmistakably recognizable as his trademark grin.

In between setting up and breaking down practices, assisting with the maintenance of equipment and cheering fervently at games, Thomas finds time tease coaches and players, helping to keep the atmosphere appropriately light.

“He is Demopolis athletics,” Causey said. For his service and dedication to the program year after year, Albert “Cangood” Thomas is unquestionably the Player of the Week.

— Jeremy D. Smith