His main squeeze? An accordion

In the accordion world, which is bigger than you’d think, Cheney’s Sammy Thomas is as hot as it gets right now, a squeezebox star in the making.

At 17 years old and headed for the world championships, he’s the next big thing in accordion music, the first American in more than 25 years to qualify in the under 32 age group.

Think of it this way: His instructor, Ilmar Kuljus, has been teaching for 54 years and says Sammy is his most accomplished student ever, especially with only six years of experience.

Thomas travels to Asker, Norway, for the World Accordion Championships Oct. 18-22 after winning his division last week in Buffalo, N.Y. That victory didn’t come easily, even though Sammy was his division’s only competitor.

“In national competition, you’re not competing against other musicians, but against the numbers,” he said Wednesday. “You have to get a high score from the two judges, who decide whether to recommend you to the commission. You don’t find out for 8 to 10 hours whether you qualify.”

Thomas was confident before the Buffalo competition, but he’s realistic about his first international experience.

“I’m not really expecting much,” he said. “The Russians have won it for like the last 40 years, so my goal isn’t so much to win as it is to play well enough to get some respect for American accordionists.”