Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

Thorsby FFA sponsor and coach Brian Lucas received a state resolution in honor of his service during the annual FFA banquet on May 13.

Rep. Van Smith read the resolution on behalf of himself, Rep. Ed Oliver and Rep. Russell Bledsoe.

“To have the accomplishments that Brian’s got through these students is really wonderful,” Smith said.

Since 2014, students that Lucas has coached have placed multiple times at the national level competition, including one national Supervised Agricultural Experience Award finalist; two national gold Supervised Agricultural Experience awards; one national bronze SAE award, four gold, 10 silver and two bronze national career development event awards and one national T-shirt design winner.

Thorsby FFA has also received two national chapter awards. Three students have completed the American Farm (FFA) Degree and 27 students have completed the state FFA award.

Teams have also won 21 first place CDE awards at state and placed in numerous the state level competitions.

Smith said this level of success was “unheard of.”

“His leadership is evident in the widespread success of his students,” Smith read. “… he has earned the admiration and respect of those who have had the privilege of associating with him.”

Lucas was named state FFA Advisor of the year in 2018.

Smith described Lucas as a “Caring, creative and effective educator.”

“We are proud of Mr. Lucas and the job that he does,” Thorsby Principal Corey Clements said. “He doesn’t get enough credit or recognition for what he does. He is one of the best teachers of his field in this county. I can’t say enough good things about Mr. Lucas about his passion for what he does, for the time that he puts into his job.”

Lucas said he often reminds the students, “It is not about you, it is not about me, it is about us.”

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them,” Lucas said.

He compared coaching the multiple FFA teams to coaching multiple sports at the same time.

“There is not a better group of kids in the United States of America, then what I teach,” Lucas said.

Lucas said he had traveled 5,812 miles with the senior class since they first joined FFA in eighth grade.

He thanked the parents for sponsoring the banquet this year, when the school system could not.