Northland’s Mekhi Kilburn impresses with return style, speed, leadership
Mekhi Kilburn finally got another opportunity on special teams Oct. 6 after admitting to feeling “salty” about what had been transpiring in recent weeks for the Northland football team.
It took time for the word to get out, but after Kilburn returned four kickoffs for touchdowns during the Vikings' first four games and also ran back a punt that would have been a score if it hadn't been called back by a penalty, opposing teams stopped kicking his way.
Then during the fourth quarter of a 46-8 victory over Centennial, the senior speedster returned a punt 38 yards for a touchdown.
“When the ball comes up in the air and I’m looking for it, in my head I’m thinking, ‘Where’s my best blocker?’ ” Kilburn said. “I analyze where the hole is, find the gap and take off. Then I get to the end zone with my buddies and we’re all happy.”
Kilburn, who had just eight kickoff returns and four punt returns through seven games, returned kickoffs for 75 and 70 yards in the Vikings’ opening 48-28 loss to St. Charles on Aug. 18.
Northland’s game against Whitehall in Week 2 was canceled because of the Columbus teachers strike, but he then returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a score in a 40-20 loss to Urbana on Sept. 2.
In a 56-12 win over Whetstone on Sept. 8 to open the City League-North Division schedule, Kilburn struck again when he picked the ball up off the ground following a short kickoff and returned it 91 yards to open the second half.
Kilburn, who entered the season looking to make an impact after moving into the district from Westerville Central, also has been a contributor at wide receiver and running back as well as in the secondary.
He had 37 rushes for 335 yards and two touchdowns and eight receptions for 101 yards and two scores through seven games.
Northland, which has been battling for a Division II, Region 7 playoff berth, was 3-4 overall and 3-1 in the City-North before playing Mifflin on Oct. 13.
Despite being in his first season with the program, Kilburn has impressed coach Ryan Sayers with his leadership abilities.
During the Vikings’ 18-6 loss Sept. 29 at East, Sayers remembers Kilburn telling him late in the fourth quarter that, “We’ve got to keep playing. We’re good.”
“When you get a kid like that, it’s special,” Sayers said. “For him to do what he’s done for us has been phenomenal. He came here at the start of quarter No. 4 (during the 2021-22 school year) and he’s the best kid that I could have been blessed with. He brings a different spark to our kids.”
Kilburn grew up in Delaware, where he competed in lacrosse, baseball and basketball in addition to football before moving to Westerville during middle school.
During his freshman and sophomore seasons at Westerville Central, Kilburn competed mostly at the junior varsity level with limited varsity action, as well as for the wrestling program.
He was with the Warhawks’ football program during summer 2021 but didn’t end up competing last fall for Central and instead moved to Northland last winter.
At the City League track and field meet last spring, he placed in two individual events and helped the Vikings’ 400-meter relay finish third.
He also got to know the members of the football team over the past few months and has fit in well offensively alongside junior running back Amir Brown.
Brown had rushed for 701 yards and nine touchdowns through seven games.
“Amir Brown just opens the lanes for Mekhi to hit the edge," Sayers said. "Mekhi is more of a straight-ahead runner, a guy that gets to the edge and goes straight down the sideline, and Amir is about shifting back and forth and changing the speed.”
The Vikings close the regular season at noon Oct. 22 at home against Beechcroft, a team they lost to 20-16 a year ago and last defeated in 2018.
“I love it here, and everything is great here,” Kilburn said. “I love being a leader and I love having everybody following me. I like to have people wanting to compete with me because I like the competition, and going against those people is going to get me ready.”
julrey@thisweeknews.com
@UlreyThisWeek
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Northland’s Kilburn impresses with return style, speed, leadership
