\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019ll be something of a homecoming for a Calgary Stampeders player who was born in Ontario when he takes to the field next Saturday against the BC Lions at Kelowna\u2019s Apple Bowl.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kelon Thomas\u2019 football career has taken him across the country but some of his fondest memories are from when he played two seasons with the Okanagan Sun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be sort of like a full circle moment for me, coming back to Kelowna. I\u2019m really excited to get out there and soak in the moment,\u201d Thomas, a 6\u20194\u201d, 240 lb. defensive lineman, said Thursday in an interview from Calgary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved the community, the brotherhood, that\u2019s around the Sun,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cI met a lot of great people in Kelowna and my billet family, I still talk to them to this day. I\u2019m glad I took the opportunity to come out to Kelowna, where I\u2019d never been before. The team was very well-run, and being part of the Sun really helped me develop my football skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2022, Thomas was named the outstanding defensive lineman in the BC Football Conference, recording an average of two tackles a game and just over one quarterback sack per game. He was a member of the Sun\u2019s national title-winning team that same season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thomas, who grew up in Scarborough, Ont., was signed by the Stamps in January 2023. His first game was against the Lions on June 8, 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last year, he played in all of the Stamps\u2019 18 games, mostly on special teams, including the Western Semi-Final loss to BC in Vancouver.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thomas, 25, said he heard first from his grandmother back in Ontario last fall that the Stampeders would play the Lions in Kelowna. Next Saturday\u2019s game, and one on July 4 against the Elks, were moved from Vancouver to to Kelowna because BC Place is being used for World Cup games\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Apple Bowl\u2019s capacity is currently being temporarily super-sized, with seating for about 20,000 in a stadium that normally has space for 2,300 spectators. Large bleachers, most recently used at the Montreal Grand Prix, are being assembled on three sides of the Apple Bowl, to complement the permanent grandstand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More seats were released this week, and indications are the games will be sold out. \u201cI\u2019m glad to hear it\u2019s going to be packed out,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cI know for sure the whole Sun community will be out for the games, and they\u2019ll probably get people in from Penticton and Kamloops too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas hopes to have time to visit some of his favourite spots in Kelowna such as the Knox Mountain look-out, the City Park beach, and the Cactus Club restaurant on the downtown waterfront. But the main order of business, of course, is the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the same state of mind for us every week, regardless of the location,\u201d he said. \u201cKelowna\u2019s a great location, but for us it\u2019s all about getting the W.\u201d<\/p>\n
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