The Sallisaw Black Diamonds will operate under the watchful eye of new coach Mark Hutson, a former OU two-time All-American, in 2022. They return a good nucleus of players with a seasoned quarterback and a strong receiving corps led by senior Ce’alm “Sim” Kilpatrick. But catching passes is just a small part of what Sim contributes to the Black Diamond offense. He had 531 all-purpose yards last year including returning punts and kickoffs. 

“He’s a gifted athlete with good speed (4.47-40) and good hands. He can play at wide receiver, running back, tailback and even quarterback out of our Wildcat set,” said Hutson. 

But where he really shines is at cornerback where he had 24 tackles and an interception last year. 

“I like playing defense best because I’ve played it more growing up and I like the feeling of being to lock down my side of the field,” said the three-sport athlete. 

Kilpatrick gives a lot of credit to workout partner Woody Westbrook and former TU player Dwight Dobbins who is his trainer for helping him develop his skills. 

“Those guys know what it’s like at the next level and I really look up to them. Also, my cousin Tyler was a guy who really worked hard and turned himself into a solid player and played college ball in Texas.” 

Kilpatrick himself has already received one offer from UCO and has a strong desire to play college ball. He points to his mother as a strong motivating force in his life. 

“She’s a single mom who works two jobs to make sure we have everything we need, and she’s just got a fire in her to succeed,” said Sim. 

Kilpatrick also plays basketball and runs track for the Black Diamonds. 

“I started track my sophomore year but got injured early and had to sit out. Last year I qualified for state in the 100-meter where I finished fourth, the long jump where I finished second in the state, and the 4X100 relay.” 

A senior leader by example, Sim knows that this year he’ll need to become a little more of a vocal leader as well. 

“I’m working hard to be more vocal. I’ve known most of these guys for most of my life so it’s not hard to be vocal with them because I feel like we respect one another so they know if I’m yelling at them, it’s not for no reason.” 

But whether he’s real vocal or not, Hutson knows this senior’s leadership will be valuable. 

“He’s a guy you can really count on and a guy the younger players can really look up to.”