Kalia Littlejohn, ready to wreck you. (Sylvia Hurlburt photo)
I don’t pay to get into Coupeville High School athletic contests.
Various athletic directors over the years have given me free access to games, which has made the life of a low-paid sports reporter/blogger much easier.
That being said, there have been a handful of Wolf athletes who brought something truly special to the court, or field, or track oval, or soccer pitch.
If I had to pay, these select few Coupeville athletes would fall into the category of “They were worth the price of admission.”
Without a doubt, one of those premier stars is Kalia Littlejohn, who has always possessed an electricity and a style rarely seen in Cow Town.
She played three seasons of soccer, and parts of two campaigns on the basketball hardwood, before eventually graduating from another school, and she remains one of the truly special athletes to pass through the CHS hallways.
Through wins and losses, through good times and bad, Kalia was a firecracker, capable of bringing a stadium full of fans to its feet, or drop-kicking a pesky rival halfway across the field.
When she was on the basketball court, she was a ferocious ballhawk, constantly nipping, bobbing and weaving, and driving ballhandlers crazy with her quick hands, fast feet, and chippy on-court personality.
Kalia came to win, every day, and she was vocal about it, not backing down from anyone as she slapped her thighs and implored those around her to rise up with her.
That part of her personality carried over to the soccer pitch, where she lived and died for the game for many years.
Kalia spent a great deal of her young womanhood traveling back and forth across the state, and often much further away, as she and older sister Mia chased a 24/7/365 soccer life.
Mia and Kalia, a formidable sister duo. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Once free of the car, and unleashed on the field, she ran wild, golden leg drilling goals into all corners of the net, while often wielding her arms like weapons, clearing space and laying down the law.
“I wish a fool would…”
She might not have said it out loud, but Kalia played with a rare confidence, and a raging fire in her gut.
Off the pitch, she was a super-friendly, easy-going young woman, a smile almost always present as she bopped though life to her own funky tune.
But once she stepped between the lines, the beast emerged and it was often beautiful to behold.
The team on the other side of the pitch might have worn jerseys with big-city names on them, but frankly, Kalia couldn’t have cared less.
Or, at least that’s the impression I had.
She believed in her own talent, was more than willing to outwork, outhustle, and outmuscle anyone in her way, and earned the strut in her step.
Unleash the beast. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
While on the CHS pitch, Kalia rattled home 33 goals across three seasons, second-best in Wolf girls soccer history only to Mia’s 35 tallies.
The lil’ sis racked up numbers with remarkable consistency, leading the team in scoring as a freshman and junior.
The only Wolf girl to notch single-season double-digit scoring totals twice during their prep career (Mia and Genna Wright did it once each), Kalia rarely settled for pedestrian goals.
She would launch fireballs which blazed across the fading prairie sunlight.
Curl wicked sliders which dipped and dove around bodies before hitting pay-dirt.
And, sometimes, when the mood struck, Kalia would simply crush the ball with the intensity of someone genuinely trying to see if they could pop the darn thing.
She was feisty. Combative. Electrifying.
And, always … ALWAYS … worth the price of admission.
Today we welcome Kalia into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, where she joins several family members, and it’s an induction long overdue.
When you look under the Legends tab at the top of the blog after this, that’s where you’ll find her, most likely rippin’ up the joint and earning all the applause.
Kalia has always been much more than just an athlete, and remains a bright, blazing star as she navigates post-high school life.
With her drive, her commitment, and her strength, she will be a success at whatever path she chooses. Of that, I have no doubt.
But, while she’s always looking forward, the rest of us will pause for a moment and look back in awe and appreciation.
Thank you, Kalia. You were a ton of fun to watch, and write about.
Superstar. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
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A celebration of life has been set for Coupeville High School grad Brandon Graham, who passed away earlier this month.
