Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

There is a new dynamic duo in town. Twins Malachi and Malik Kemp made the transition from Carrollton to LaGrange for the spring semester and are on the verge of getting to suit up together in Granger blue on Friday nights in the fall.

“I already have it marked on the calendar, August 17,” Malik said. “I’m getting jitters just talking about it.”

The Kemps will be key figures on the 2023 Grangers football team with Malachi set to start at tight end and outside linebacker while Malik is set to be the starting quarterback.

“I love getting the ball to my brother, but I also love getting the ball to my teammates,” Malik said, flashing a big grin. “It’s just about going through my reads and seeing the whole defense.”

Malachi plays both sides of the ball, which can be exhausting on fall Friday nights. 

“I’ve played a little running back, tight end, outside linebacker, a little bit of everything,” Malachi said. 

“When I see guys like JT Burks and Parker (Shattuck) playing both ways, it really motivates you and pushes you to go harder.”

Malik, the more outspoken of the two, is a true dual-threat quarterback, athletic, but not overly muscular as he uses agility to elude defenders in the pocket. Malachi, on the other hand, is built like an ox and is a strong contender for the iron man competition LaGrange will hold later this summer. 

The brothers are going to bring a lot to the football team this year as the Grangers lost both the starting quarterback (Jaylan Brown) and tight end (J’Arthur Dunn) from the 2022 to graduation. But that is not the only sport the two excel at. Both players are two-sport athletes and are standouts on the baseball diamond as well.

Neither player was eligible to play for the 2023 AAAA state runner-up baseball team but are looking forward to the impact they can make on the 2024 team.

“We saw this team go to back-to-back championship series, and we knew that being able to be a part of that team would be something special,” Malik said. 

Malachi is versatile on the diamond and can play both first and third base and will be offering some stiff competition to the quality infield that the Grangers possess. 

Malik is a pitcher and with the team’s top two starters departing for college, he could very easily see himself as one of the key starters on a team looking to make its third straight trip to the state championship series. 

It has been an easy transition to LaGrange as the brothers feel right at home in their new surroundings. 

“Being here really is a blessing,” Malachi said. 

Malik called LaGrange a big family and said “whenever I got here everybody was coming up and talking to me about the upcoming football season and made us feel at home.”

Feeling at home is a two-way street and the twins wanted to bond with the team even further, having the offensive line over to the house for a meal as the twins have instantly clicked with the big men up front that will help them connect with each other on the field. 

“Those are my guys,” Malik said. “We have already had them over to the house, and we like to joke around with them. They are a great group of guys.”

The twins got their chance for real game action during the spring game in May, and what a feeling it was for them.

“I feel like we really dominated,” Malachi said. “Most of us only played a half, but I feel like we got the message out.”

LaGrange fans will not have to wait long to see them both in action officially with the first game scheduled for Thursday, August 17 against Carver ATL.