Kabongo leads the way at Gar-Field

Woodbridge (Va.) Gar-Field has two prospects in 2008. Head coach Joe Mangano is raving about his potential star in the making Leons Kabongo after the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder posted an impressive 126 tackles, 19 for loss and four sacks as a junior on his way to second team all-state honors.

"He originally was listed wrong, but is a junior from Congo," he said. "What I tell coaches about this young man is that he is the most committed, hardest working person you can be around.

"I thought Savion Frazier was one of the hardest working players and then Leons came in and the guy is a machine. He runs to the gym, works out, swims and then runs home, he never stops because of the culture he grew up in, in war torn Congo. He appreciates the opportunities and understands this is his chance at a free education.

"Overall it's just a great story from a great young man. In less than three years he picked up football and learned a second language. It's great to see people that work hard hopefully get rewarded for their efforts and he's a perfect example of what you can do when you come to America with great effort and drive. What's more amazing is that he's really focused on getting a degree because he wants to go into international law and save his country."

Mangano went on to discuss his star player's onfield exploits.

"I've sent tape out to Virginia and Duke and they all like him because they see him fly and the motor he has," he said. "They also like his closing speed. On the field, he's like an animal with his determination and motor. It's off the charts and a lot of times we'll put him on the wide side and he'll chase the quarterback down."

Currently the Gar-Field prospect has no leaders according to his head coach.

"He's so new to all of this," he said. "He came here not knowing a word of English and now speaks five languages. He's continuing to make strides and I'm excited to just see what happens next year. I do know that education is going to be very important to him and his father."

Besides Duke and Virginia, Virginia Tech, Richmond and others have already shown interest.

Mangano's second prospect is 6-foot-1, 280-pound defensive tackle Stephen Young.

"I'm sending out tapes to schools," he said. "The thing is he's not that 6-foot-4, guy, but is explosive and extremely strong. He was in the state finals in wrestling, has great hips and runs really well.

"I'm hoping we can get him down to Virginia and Virginia Tech to show him off more. People are interested, but they want to see what his senior tape looks like. The next four to five months will be crucial on deciding if he'll be a I-A or I-AA guy. If he works as hard as I think he can, he can be pretty dominant."

Last season Young earned second team all-district as a junior.