DELTA, Utah — Community members in Delta came together on Wednesday to honor the life of longtime teacher, athletic director, and wrestling coach Jason Thomas in their first match without him.
After Thomas was killed in a two-car crash Monday, loved ones, students, and colleagues have been left in disbelief.
“I’ve kind of just felt it in the air in the community…and in school yesterday, it was very somber,” said Ashley Moran, Delta’s head girls wrestling coach.
Those mourning Thomas have tried to start the healing process together in a place that was so important to the coach - they call it “title town” for good reason.
“You look at the banners inside the palladium, you’ll see stretches of state championships and amazing coaches,” said Brendan Willoughby, who coaches Delta’s junior high wrestling team.
The school has 34 state wrestling championships, and at the heart of several of those titles was Thomas.
“We come in here to learn moves, but the biggest thing we learn is to become better men,” Willoughby said.
Willoughby was on some of Thomas's teams; his name engraved on many of the UHSAA trophies that line the Delta Palladium. He took in many life lessons from Thomas about toughness.
“He talked about overcoming hardships,” said Willoughby.
But the hardship that fell on Delta is one no one could have prepared for.
“He’s really going to leave a big hole - something that I’ll miss as his friend,” said Rob Fowles, the principal of Delta High School.
For 31 years, Thomas was a trusted teacher off the mat in then tight-knit town as well.
“Never once did I hear anybody say, ‘Oh, I don’t like his class,’” Willoughby added.
“Jason and I grew up together, so I’ve known him for 40, 50 years,” Fowles said. “He was not only just a good educator, he was a great father, he loved his kids immensely. It’s going to be hard.”
School staff shared how Thomas encouraged the community to pack the Palladium for both the boys' and girls' sides of his beloved sport, “to encourage and show girls there is room for them, like he was always trying to recruit for our team because he knows we needed the numbers,” said Moran.
In just her second year leading the girls' program, Moran said the coach was always there to answer a question and offer her support, and Wednesday night was about returning that favor.
The school took donations for the Thomas family, and just ahead of their dual match against local rivals, Juab, they held a moment of silence to reflect on his enduring legacy.
“We come together today united in sorrow,” said the PA announcer. “May his dedication inspire us and may Jason Thomas rest in eternal peace.”
It was a match the school considered cancelling following Thomas's death, but they decided the best thing to do was what they thought the coach would do, and that was go to battle on the mat in his honor.
“He wouldn’t want it to be postponed - he’d want it to go on,” said Fowles.
The district said they have counselors and support staff available at the high school for students and employees. They also said there is a designated Venmo account (@Jace-Thomas-10) for anyone who would like to donate to Thomas' family.
