Junior Karo Okiomah's name will be said a lot this season. He was picked as the 2010 Big South Conference Preseason Player of the Year and scored his first goal of the year in HPU's season opener against Elon. With all the attention on the HPU men's soccer team this season, Okiomah expects a lot of people will be saying his name. He just doesn't expect anyone to pronounce it correctly.

“I've heard it said so many different ways it doesn't even phase me anymore,” Okiomah said. “No one says it the right way but I have stopped correcting people. When teachers just stare at the class list I know it is my turn to raise my hand and say my name for them. The best one came when I was playing in a televised tournament with my brother, Fejiro. We recorded the game so we could watch it later and the announcer kept referring to us as the Pokemon brothers. I'm not sure how he got from Okiomah to Pokemon.”

The name is Nigerian, where both of Karo's parents are from while he and his siblings are first generation American.

“Both my parents speak fluent English so that is what we spoke in the house,” Karo said. “My Mom and Dad actually speak two different languages. They don't even understand each other's languages so it was always English in the house.”

Karo converted a penalty kick in the 82nd minute against Elon to lead HPU to a 1-0 win over the Phoenix. The goal is exactly what should be expected from the Big South Preseason Player of the Year.

“It is a huge honor for both me, personally, and for the team to be picked to finish first in the conference,” Karo said. “I try not to think about it that much but use it as a goal. The way I see it, if you are the Preseason Player of the year then the goal should be to be named the Player of the Year at the end of the season.”

Karo is one of 10 returning starters for HPU this season but he takes credit for another one of HPU's returners. Karo's younger brother, Fejiro Okiomah, is a sophomore on the team and already has a goal this season.

“I'd like to think I was a big influence on Fejiro coming to High Point,” Karo said. “I would call him after every game and tell him how we were doing and how much I loved the school. We both talked to some bigger schools, UNC and NC State, but fell in love with High Point.”

While Karo said he loves having his little brother around, they draw the line at living together.

“I love having him here,” he said. “We have always been very close and our family always says whatever one of us does, the other will too. We have an edge on the field because we have played together for so long we don't always need to talk to know what the other will do. We did live together for one semester but decided after that we would just live with other teammates. We needed a little space.”

Even while living apart the brothers spend most of their free time together, along with the rest of their teammates.

“We get together during our free time a lot and play video games or get ping pong tournaments going,” Karo said. “The tournaments get pretty serious, we always fight to see who is number one. Right now, it is Ryan Bennett.”

Karo joins in when the team plays video games and ping pong but there is one activity that he stays at home for.

“A lot of the guys really like scary movies, but I am not one of them,” he said. “I can't watch them or I will have nightmares for a week. Michael Chesler convinced me to go to a movie with him and promised it wasn't scary. Well it was and I watched most of it with my hat over my eyes and still had nightmares the rest of the week.”