Seamus Hart is willing to do whatever it takes for the team.
And it doesn’t matter what team he’s playing for, they’re going to get his all.
Hart is a senior at Father Judge High School, and one of the top lacrosse players in the Catholic League.
A former football player, too, he gave up his fall sport to focus on the spring.
But lacrosse is far from the only thing he does at Judge.
The Mayfair native and Winchester Park resident this year joined the basketball team and served as a manager.
He may have been the secret weapon, too.
“Yes, they owe going to the Palestra all to me,” Hart joked. “Going to the Palestra was awesome. I wanted to do it because we have connections to Chris Roantree, he’s a great guy, best coach in the Catholic League. Once I decided I wasn’t going to play football, I wanted to give it a shot. I loved it.
“They had a great year, and it was fun to be a small part of it.”
Hart isn’t a small part of anything.
Especially at Judge, where he’s following in his brother Braedon’s footsteps in leaving quite a legacy at the school.
Now a lineman at Lycoming College, Braedon was a captain on both the football and lacrosse teams, and was one of the best leaders in the school. He was also ranked near the top of his senior class.
Younger brother Seamus learned a lot from his big brother and he’s going the same route.
A member of the Crusaders lacrosse team since his sophomore year, he’s also proved to be a great leader in the school. He was class president the first three years of high school, and this year, he’s the president of the student council.
He takes these roles very seriously, not just because he loves representing his fellow Judge students, but he loves representing Judge.
“For student council, you do a lot of stuff around the school, volunteer at every school event, set up, clean up, I’m asked a lot of my opinions or how I would feel about things, pretty much help out any way you can,” Hart said. “I have to do the student aspect, letting kids know things. That’s the role of president. It comes with responsibility, but it’s nothing I can’t handle and it’s something I really like doing.”
To win, he needed the support of his entire class. That wasn’t a problem.
“That meant everything to me, everyone voting for me,” he said. “It was nervewracking, the whole process, but hearing support in the hallways and guys calling me Mr. Pres, it meant a lot. I really appreciated it. I love Father Judge, so it means a lot that I’m able to do it here.”
He does much more than that.
On top of being the el presidente, he’s ranked in the top 10 percent of his senior class and he’s also a member of the National Honor Society.
You’re now 500 words into a sports story and you haven’t heard about Hart’s success in athletics.
That’s just because of all of the other great things he does.
When it comes to lacrosse, Hart can do it all.
His natural position is midfielder, but he’s also played some offense and defense. Toward the end of last year, he began taking faceoffs for the Crusaders, and he’s working in at long stick midfield this year.
Pretty much, if it’s part of lacrosse, Hart can do it.
But those leadership skills he has in the classroom, he has them in athletics, too.
“I’m a captain, I’ve actually been a captain since my sophomore year,” said Hart, who was joined on that team by his older brother. “That was great having a year with him.
“It was amazing, it felt like we were on top and we were able to help people. The bash brothers. It was awesome. It was great to lead the team, but it was quite an experience.”
It also proved to be a perfect learning experience for the younger brother.
“For sure, he was a great leader,” said Hart, who plans on playing lacrosse in college, but thus far is unsure of a major. “I learned every type of toughness from him. Serious things, and when you need to demonstrate the toughness, I learned everything from him.”
And while Seamus is proud of what he learned from Braedon, he’s not just following at home.
His younger brother Casey is learning by watching Seamus.
“I always try my best to be a good leader for my younger brother,” Seamus said of his fifth-grade brother. “He does a lot, loves lacrosse, but also baseball, so that’s a decision he’ll have to make.
“He’s great. I try to help him. I see a lot of my younger self in him. He has my skinnieness that I had at that age. I try to mentor him the best I can, especially lacrosse, but I’m a little nervous, our dad said he’s going to be the best.”
That’s a high bar.
Hart has a final season to play, and he wants to go out on a good note.
Judge has made the playoffs the past three years. The goal is to make it four.
“I really want to get back to the playoffs and have a good season,” said Hart, who was selected to wear No. 27 this year, representing the number of Judge guys who died during Vietnam. “I’d love, personally, to achieve All-Catholic. I’ll try my best, we have a good team.”
