Ernest Shelton and Tearran Peete were working their way up together.
Last year they were sophomores at Bishop McDevitt High School and starting on the junior varsity squad. The Lancers were loaded with good players, so Shelton, a shooting guard, and Peete, a forward, were learning and getting better in hopes of eventually contributing at McDevitt.
Then they got word that it wasn’t going to happen.
The Archdiocese announced it was closing McDevitt at the end of the school year, so this summer, both Shelton and Peete were in the market for new homes.
“It was hard because I liked McDevitt, I was comfortable there,” said Shelton, who lives in Mount Airy. “We were all happy there.”
Now, they couldn’t be happier where they are.
Shelton and Peete weren’t free agents long. They looked into going to Father Judge, and once they found out the other one was going to be a Crusader, they were happy to be reunited in baby blue.
“It definitely helped that he came here,” said Peete, who lives not too far from Judge. “We’re good friends, and we know what it’s like to play with each other, so that made it a lot better. It made it easier to come in.”
Not only did they come in, both are contributing.
The two are starters for the Crusaders under first-year coach Chris Roantree. And the Crusaders are working hard to become a contender in the Catholic League.
It’s not easy. As always, the Catholic League is stacked and wins are hard to come by when you’re in rebuilding mode.
Judge started out strong, winning two of its first three games and in the opener, the Crusaders put a scare into Archbishop Ryan before the Raiders rebounded to pick up the win. But since those two wins, the Crusaders have suffered six straight setbacks.
It’s not due to poor play. Judge was underdogs in each of those games. When you play teams like West Catholic, Devon Prep, Archbishop Wood, La Salle and Neumann-Goretti, you might not win, but you have no choice but to get better.
And Shelton and Peete, who are both varsity rookies, are learning on the job while also getting used to playing with their new teammates at Judge.
While everyone at the school has been welcoming, they credit senior guard Jalen Flowers with making the transition easier.
“I think we’re getting better,” Peete said. “We’re lucky to have guys help us get used to playing here. Definitely Jalen Flowers. He’s been a great leader, he’s always helping everyone. But he’s made it easier for us.”
“Jalen has been good, everyone has been good,” Shelton said. “Everyone has been really welcoming. As soon as we got here, everyone was really good about helping us. It’s made it a lot easier for both of us.”
The pair have been doing their part as well.
Both Shelton and Peete know that if they want to stay on the court, they have to work hard. They also know they have to play defense. Both take that seriously. Not only do they want to be on the floor, they want to see the Crusaders continue to improve.
It should help that Judge has just two seniors in the rotation, so most players will be back next year. But that doesn’t mean they’re waiting for next year.
“I just try to do whatever we need, do the hard work, get rebounds,” Peete said. “We have a lot of guys who can score, when I get opportunities, I’ll try to score, but I’m out there to do all of the other things you need.”
“We’re getting better,” Shelton said. “My role? I just have to do whatever I can to help the team. I think that’s what everyone does. We’re just working to get better.”
