Football

Mt. SAC’s Third Leading Tackler, Kalim Mikhail, Looking for Next Collegiate Home; Mounties LB Played Key Role in Record Season

Feb 04 2025 02:23:26

Football:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto

Kalim Mikhail might be just 21 years old.

But this dude is about as old school as it gets.

And I mean that in the best possible way.

Mikhail just finished his second and final year as an outside linebacker for the 3C2A So Cal Regional champions, and this year’s runner-up in state.

At first glance, one might think Mikhail is an outsider just visiting the world of junior college football.

He’s quiet, respectful and the Bonita High graduate can make a big play on the field without having to swear or talk trash to an opponent.

The most brash thing Mikhail might do is give a teammate a fist-bump, high-five or a smack on the ass.

But don’t mistake his pleasant demeanor as a weakness.

Mikhail delivers jarring hits, and his football IQ is off the charts.

Perhaps his greatest strength is being a student of the game, and his instincts have put him in position to make some of the biggest tackles in Mt. SAC’s record 2024 season.

The Mounties won their first 12 games, including a 37-35 victory over Riverside in the So Cal Regional title game.

MSAC was also ranked No. 1 in the state for no less than eight weeks, and they earned a spot in the state title game.

It was the first time in a decade that Mt. SAC had made an appearance on the state’s brightest stage.

Suffice to say, that cold and wet afternoon in San Mateo on December 14th was not the way Bob Jastrab’s team wanted to finish a fairytale season.

The Mounties did everything wrong in a 43-11 beatdown at the hands of their host.

However, in that game, the Mounties defense held San Mateo to just 267 yards of total offense.

That was nearly 100 less yards than the Bulldogs offense averaged every Saturday.

Mt. SAC finished the season 12-1, and they were ferocious on both sides of the ball.

The Mounties had a 41-20 average margin of victory in 2024.

Mikhail’s 55 tackles were third highest to Darrell Tripline (64) and Juan Salas (60).

Tripline, Salas and Mikhail led MSAC with an average of five tackles per game.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound sophomore earned all-conference honors, and he also tallied 6.5 tackles for-loss and 1.5 sacks.

It wasn’t necessarily Kalim’s stat totals that were as impressive as when he made those tackles.

Mikhail had a massive open-field tackle in the second half of the Golden West game that forced a punt, and the Mounties offense would rally from 18 down to defeat the Rustlers, 34-27.

That secured a National Central Conference championship for MSAC.

Two weeks later, Mikhail tied Salas for a team-high 10 tackles apiece in that 37-35 dramatic victory over Riverside.

In the So Cal Regional final, the Mt. SAC defense held RCC, the state’s No. 1 offense to 19 points under their weekly average.

While a member of the program, the Mounties were 22-2, including a 14-0 mark in conference games.

I could go on and on about Kalim’s character and skills, but it’s far more effective to hear what his defensive coordinator had to say about Mikhail and his impact.

Said Bobby Purcell: “Kalim Mikhail exemplifies a team-first mentality, combining physicality with a high football IQ. As a great teammate and a leader who leads by example, he played a pivotal role as our starting outside linebacker, contributing significantly to our undefeated regular season. His performance during the playoffs was instrumental in securing our place in both the State and National Title games.

Over the course of the playoffs, he recorded 20 tackles and half a sack, showcasing his skills as a reliable tackler with exceptional field awareness. Kalim is arguably one of the most underrated linebackers in the game, consistently delivering solid performances and maintaining high productivity. Furthermore, he has achieved academic excellence by making the Dean’s List for the past two years.”

There are a number of reasons that any college football program would benefit for having Mikhail on their roster.

One of the most striking is the fact that Kalim has gotten better as his high school and JC careers advanced.

Case in point: His little brother, Noah, who is currently in College Station, Texas, preparing for his freshman season, led Bonita High School in tackles for three of his four years in La Verne.

The only season Noah Mikhail didn’t lead the Bearcats in tackles was his freshman year.

It was some guy named Kalim Mikhail that led BHS with 146 tackles that year.

Since 2015, Noah’s 166 tackles in 2023 and Kalim’s 146 are a program best.

During his senior season, Kalim also led Bonita in tackles for-loss (12), interceptions (3), rushing yards (509) and rushing TDs (5).

Mikhail showed off his versatility with 28 receptions for 214 yards and two scores.

Last week, I asked four-time CIF champion Steve Bogan to give me his take on Cole Parra (2025 grad) for last week’s story, and this one for Kalim.

They both had three key attributes that made them extremely special, and they raised the overall play of the teams they played on. They were selfless, brilliant, and fierce competitors,” Bogan said.”

“They always put the team first. They understood the concept that a rising tide raises all of the boats in the harbor. Make the team better and everyone wins.

Both Kalim and Cole are brilliant young men. They are great students in the classroom, and on the field. Smart players enable teams to do more and therefore play at a higher level.

And they are both “fierce” competitors, which rubs off on their teammates in a big way. Fierce competitiveness is caught not taught. They are the type of players that if they were in an endurance competition on a treadmill, they would either outlast everyone and win, or they would die on the treadmill, because neither was going to quit.”

Bogan tells the following story about Kalim:

“When I think of a specific game that sticks out in my mind with Kalim, I think of our La Serna game his senior year. It was a game that we won in overtime, and it was a true battle. Our offense started off very strong throwing the ball, but we began to struggle in the second quarter. I think we went 3 and out our last two possessions of the first half.

We were getting the ball to start the second half and needed to dominate the first part of the third Quarter to get our momentum back. Being a more throw than run team, in general, we had to change if we wanted to win. La Serna, on defense, was rushing 3 and dropping 8 into coverage. They were daring us to run, and it was working. Kalim was our solution.

He had great vision and instincts as a runner, but he was also our main linebacker on defense. Ground and pound was not something we could live in and expect our defense to continue to play at a high level. Nevertheless, at halftime we decided that we needed to start the second half with a ground and pound approach and give the ball to Kalim. We did so on almost every down on that first drive, and we also used up almost all of the third quarter. The result was we scored, and we went on to win the game.”

I asked Noah about Kalim as a big brother, what lessons he learned from him, and what impact would Kalim make at a college that gives him the opportunity to play for them.

“Kalim is how every big brother should be in my eyes, Noah said. “He pushed me to be my best and he’s always there to support me. We are like best friends. The most important lessons I’ve learned from him is to always work my hardest and that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Aside from the fact that wherever he goes he will make the linebacker room immediately better, he’s always going to work hard, he’s reliable and Kalim strives for greatness.”

Mikhail is as humble as he is intelligent, talented and respectful.

His parents, Karim and Lynsey have raised their two boys to be remarkable young men, and they passed their parental test with flying colors.

Mr. and Mrs. Mikhail are outstanding and generous people with a strong faith in God.

However, what makes them special to this writer is that you can share their faith, worship another God or none at all, and yet, if you’re a good person, they consider you a member of their extended family.

Their eldest son currently boasts a 3.8 GPA.

Mikhail has gotten some initial interest from Campbell, Lindenwood, Middle Tennessee, and Idaho thus far, but he’s open to all suitors.

Lastly, I asked Mikhail to answer the following questions: 1) Growing up, did you enjoy playing offense or defense more? 2) What was it like playing for a state power at Mt. SAC? 3) What did you try and impart on your little brother Noah? 4) What would you want a prospective college to know about what they get in Kalim Mikhail? 5) How do you hope to be remembered by your teammates? 6) What is something you admire most about your mom and about your dad?

Said Kalim Mikhail: 1) “Growing up I would always play both sides of the ball and do whatever I could to help my team win, but I have always enjoyed being a defensive player. At linebacker, there are so many ways to impact the game.

2) I had a great experience at Mt. SAC. It really taught me a lot about grinding through the struggles. I also learned a lot about a winning culture as we were 22-2 during my time there.

3) As an older brother, I always tried to show him what it meant to work for what you really want. I also always tried to compete with him knowing that it would make him push his limits and be that much better.

4) Whatever college that I end up at next is going to get someone who comes in and will out-work anyone in the room. I plan to make an impact on the team right away, and they will definitely be glad they gave me that opportunity.

5) I hope they would remember me as a great teammate, who did whatever he could to help the team succeed. As someone who had a love for the game and showed it through his hard work across the season.

6) One thing I admire about my mom is how much she shows her love for Christ and helps us to grow in that area consistently. I appreciate how much my dad pushes me to be the best that I can possibly be 24/7. My parents have always raised me in Christ. And that has taught me a lot, including how to be respectful and just keeping my head down and keep working through every circumstance. That has played a big role in my life. I also appreciate the amount of time and effort that they invest into helping me become the best football player and young man that I can be. No matter what, they are always there and are my biggest fans. It is great to have that kind of support.”

To view a photo gallery of Kalim Mikail, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook

Quotable:

Mt. SAC running back, Devin Miles: “Kalim had a big impact on the team’s success. He played a big role on our defense. He came to work every day, and he made those around him better. He worked hard, did his job well, and it was an honor to play with him.”

Mt. SAC safety, Juan Salas: “With me being a safety, I could always count on him to be where he was supposed to be. Kalim is a great team guy. He wasn’t your typical playmaker, because he worked in silence, you could say.”

Mt. SAC defensive back, Brayden Hapner: “Kalim was a hardworking teammate, and one of the smartest players on the defense. He was very hungry, and willing to go sideline-to-sideline to make a play. He never complained and always kept his head down and worked. Kalim was a natural leader.”

Bonita teammate & close friend, Trevor Cadam: “I had the privilege to play alongside Kalim for four amazing years in high school. To put it simply, he was the hardest working, most dedicated, and passionate teammate I’ve had. The hours he spent in the gym always had him a strength and speed above his competition. He also watched more film than anyone I know. It got to the point where he was calling out teams plays before they ran them during our senior year. He was the player that always stepped up in big moments, and I’ll never forget his 4th-and-goal sack in OT to lead us to an upset victory over La Serna.

But that was what was special about him as a player and leader, because he would never let us believe we were underdogs even though reporters had us as them. He plays the game with so much energy, and it was the most fun times of my career to be on the field with him on both sides of the ball. I truly miss getting to be his teammate competing and celebrating on the field together. But it has been even better to call him my best friend. I am truly thankful for the friend/teammate he has been in my life. and I know he will continue to do amazing things.”

Kalim Mikhail Career Stats at Bonita:
2021 Fall Season: 96 carries for 509 yards & 5 TDs, 28 catches for 214 yards & 2 TDs; 146 tackles, 12 for-loss, four sacks, 2 fumble recoveries
2021 Spring: Kalim Mikhail was injured
2019: 47 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions & 2 fumble recoveries
Totals: Offense: 96 carries for 509 yards & 5 TDs, 28 catches for 214 & 2 TDs; Defense: 193 tackles, 12 for-loss, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, four fumble recoveries

Bonita’s Record w/Kalim Mikhail:
2021 Fall: 9-3 overall, 2-1 in league
2021 Spring: 2-2 (COVID shortened season)
2019: 8-3, 3-2
Totals: 19-8 overall, 5-3 in league

Kalim Mikhail’s Career Stats at Mt. SAC:
2024: 55 tackles, 6.5 for-loss, 1.5 sacks
2023: 13 tackles, one for-loss
Totals: 68 tackles, 7.5 for-loss, 1.5 sacks

Mt. SAC’s Record w/Kalim Mikhail:
2024: 12-1 overall, 7-0 in conference
2023: 10-1, 7-0
Totals: 22-2, 14-0

Bonita Tackle Leaders, 2014-2024:
Cruz Garibay (203 in 2014)
Noah Mikhail (166 in 2023)
Ed Ostashay (148 in 2014)
Kalim Mikhail (146 in 2021)
Nathan Smedley (117 in 2014)
Noah Mikail (112 in 2022)
Cameron Liscano (110 in 2014)
Danny Gelalich (108 in 2014)
Noah Mikhail (103 in 2024)
Amir Ainsworth (96 in 2015)

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