Kalokoh, Kennah Have Potomac Soaring High
Cousins Mulku Kalokoh and Abdul Kennah have just led the Potomac Panthers to their second consecutive Cardinal District title and hope to advance past the State semis this season and help lead the Panthers to a state championship. Kalokoh's goal for 2007 is simple, "My goal is to win a state championship, that's it." The Panthers are just one win away from their first undefeated season since 2000 and are ranked #6 in the VA prep football poll. If Potomac wins their last game of the year against Freedom they will lock up home field advantage throughout the regional playoffs.
The Kalokohs moved to Alexandria from Sierra Leone before Mulku was born. Abdul's family relocated to London where he was born, then moved to America when Abdul was 4. Abdul moved out of Alexandria when he was 8 and he didn't see Mulku again until they were 13. Both families had relocated to eastern Prince William and both young men started playing Pop Warner football for Coach Tony Keiling's Dale City Cowboys.
Both Kalokoh and Kennah experienced winning a championship as they helped lead those same Dale City Cowboys to the 2003 Pop Warner Nation Championship.
Kalokoh had this to say about winning the biggest game in Pop Warner that takes place each year in Orlando, "It was a great experience, the team we played in the Super Bowl had beaten us three times, we beat them 7-6, and it was on ESPN."
Both young men make plays on both sides of the ball. Kalokoh plays running back and linebacker for Coach Tony Lilly, while Kennah plays wide receiver and defensive back.
Kalokoh is the premier playmaker in all of Prince William County. Not only is Mulku one of the best running backs in the county, he is also a dangerous kick returner and one of the best players on Potomac's vaunted defense. "I just try to make plays on defense, that's all I do. I don't make that many tackles on defense, I don't have to, I just try to make things happen."
Kalokoh leads the area in touchdowns with 17. Ten have come on the ground, 3 have been through the air, and he has returned 4 touchdowns. Mulku is currently 6th in Prince William in overall rushing with 837 yards on 149 attempts. His counterpart Darius Brent, is 8th with 792 yards on 129 attempts. "We don't sleep on nobody; everyone is going to give us their best shot, because they want to knock us off. I was most impressed with Gar-Field, they played us tough."
Kennah was an All-State selection in 2006 as a defensive back. Abdul piled up 120 tackles and had 5 interceptions and was a big part of Potomac's run in '06. Kennah has become a go to target on offense for sophomore standout DeAirius Thomas.
Kennah had this to say about Thomas, "He's very mature for a 15 year old. Having spent last year under Staples' wing he understands more than a typical sophomore would. He doesn't panic, he keeps his composure."
Abdul loves playing defense, "I love to hit, I love the contact. I try to model my game after Ed Reed and Sean Taylor." If you get a chance to watch Potomac play you could say Kennah plays like a combination of the two. He's a very intelligent player that can lay a big hit on the opposition on any given play and has an uncanny ability to make plays on the ball.
Kennah is the best defensive back in the county, and will be playing football on Saturdays. Kennah wants to major in criminal justice, "I want to be an agent, James Bond baby, if not that I want to start my own business."
Potomac still has some business to handle, and hopefully it will end up with Coach Lilly's Panthers raising the AAA Division 5 trophy.
The Panthers will play Stone Bridge for the Championship on Saturday December 8th at 12:00pm....
