MOSES LAKE – Growing up, Kyson Thomas was more of a basketball fan than a football. It was not until he reached Moses Lake High School that he developed a deeper passion for football, he said.  

“I really didn't plan on playing football. I played my freshman year on the freshman team. Then, going into my sophomore year, I was actually just going to stop playing in general, but (Moses Lake) got a new head coach (Brett Jay), and then also hired my dad. So, I kept playing, and then it just took off from there,” he said.  

Despite it not being his passion right away, Thomas said he has played football his whole life. His dad, Anthony, is the Mavericks' running backs coach, which Kyson said was only fitting that he played running back prior to arriving at Moses Lake High School.  

Once he arrived in the Mavericks program, he asked to switch to receiver, and the rest is history, according to Thomas. In addition to playing receiver, Thomas played on all sides of the ball at cornerback and on special teams as a returner.  

Mavericks head coach Brett Jay said Thomas adapted to it exceptionally well. He said what he saw in Thomas would typically take years to teach other players. He said Thomas was the kind of player he would only have to say something once, and the issue was corrected forever.  

“He was that kind of kid where he did a lot of things right when you would just literally put them out there, probably because he played so much sports and backyard ball with his brothers growing up, Anthony Thomas and his mom, Cassie Thomas, they worked with him for years in sports, and just had a had a huge impact on his development,” Jay said.  

Thomas said he saw the potential to go to the collegiate level after his sophomore season with the Mavericks. He made his presence known in all three phases of the game. He was a key element of an explosive receiving core and made highlight plays on kick returns. According to Jay, he also led the team in interceptions that season, too.  

“After my sophomore year, I just realized that I was gifted, after I realized that I was like, ‘I’m going to make most of the gift I was given,’ and I had a lot of people believing in me, and so I just decided to go for it,” Thomas said.  

During his upperclassmen years at Moses Lake High School, Thomas began assessing his options to play football at the collegiate level. He was beginning to receive offers from schools like Eastern Oregon, Idaho and Montana.  

However, after establishing a relationship with Washington State’s receiving coach, Nick Edwards, he took his talents to the Cougars. When he arrived, Thomas said it was a big culture change for him.  

“Just going from ‘that guy,’ where you're from, to not that guy at all, just a young cat and not really realizing what it’s going to be for you,” he said.  

Thomas said he essentially had to start over again. However, he said he just had to remember what he did to get there and why he was doing it in the first place; after that, it became easier for him.  

“I met a lot of good friends there, too. Some guys I'll be friends with for a long time; I call my brothers. We went through a lot together. So doing it with your teammates and guys that you know you love and trust, it's easy,” he said.  

However, after his freshman season, Thomas started to assess his future with the Cougars. He said he looked at the depth in the room and the receivers coach was leaving the program. Both of those factors led him to decide to enter the transfer portal.  

As he looked around, he said Eastern Washington was his second choice before committing to the Cougars and had maintained a relationship with their receiver's coach. He got in touch with them and expressed his interest in transferring to the Eagles program, he said.  

In February, Thomas officially transferred to Eastern Washington. He said he is eager to immerse himself in the Eagle football program and get on the field.

“I'm just very happy and grateful that I get the chance to play and do the most I can with this opportunity,” Thomas said. “At the end of the day, no matter where you're playing at, what level you're playing, it's still football, there’s dawgs everywhere, if I'm meant to (be at Eastern Washington), I'm going to be where I'm meant to be at. I'm still going to work hard at any level.” 

Jay said he is confident in Thomas’s abilities and said he has the potential necessary to succeed at Eastern Washington. He said his competitive nature makes it a no-brainer for him to have confidence in Thomas’s success.

“When he's in, the ball is going to find him, whether it's offense or defense, it just gravitates to him. He's such a competitive kid. He wants the ball in his hands, and we want our guys to want the ball in their hands, and he wants the ball in his hands as much as possible,” Jay said.  

As he prepares for the upcoming season, Thomas said he still misses playing in a Mavericks uniform under the Friday night lights.

“I miss my team, being able to play with my close friends and being able to play in front of people that watched me grow up and definitely Coach Jay,” he said.  

    Mavs alum Kyson Thomas at an Eastern Washington football practice after catching a pass. Thomas was a former first team All-State player for football while at Moses Lake High School.
  

    Mavs alum Kyson Thomas hauls in a one-handed catch during practice at Washington State. Thomas played in all three phases of football while at Moses Lake and left his mark, according to head coach Brett Jay.