By Dylan Butler
Isaiah Lewis had never played a varsity game before and his first opportunity at Christ the King came in front of a huge home crowd, a large media contingent and against a Thomas Jefferson squad that is a legitimate PSAL Class AA title contender.
But the Christ the King sophomore guard wasn’t going to be intimidated by the bright lights.
“It just was another game for me to show my talents and get the win,” Lewis said.
If Lewis sounds brash, well, that’s because he is. He’s from Brooklyn and brings that swagger with him to Middle Village. On Saturday afternoon, he helped lead Christ the King to a 71-67 win against Thomas Jefferson in the finale of the Christ the King Invitational.
“I just came in with the confidence and a swagger that we’re going to win the game and I’m going to play well,” Lewis said.
The 6-foot-2 guard displayed a maturity and a mid-range jumper few 15-year-olds possess. He scored 12 of his 16 points after halftime and added six rebounds for a Royals team ranked No. 1 in NYC by the New York Post and No. 6 in the country by USA Today.
“Isaiah’s biggest problem is at times his maturity,” CK Coach Joe Arbitello said. “He didn’t start the game out great and then his reaction to that was really impressive. I thought he showed a lot of maturity out there.”
While Lewis said he wasn’t surprised by how he played in his varsity debut, the Orange Wave wasn’t so sure.
“We thought that he was going to be scared, his first year on varsity,” Manhattan-bound forward Edson Avila said. “It surprised us.”
The Royals were without star point guard Corey Edwards, who is serving a one-month suspension for cursing in the hallway during school. Because of that there was some chatter that Christ the King was vulnerable without the George Mason-bound senior, that they were ripe for the picking.
TJ Curry heard all that talk.
“I take it personally and that’s how everybody else took it,” the senior guard said. “If everyone is going to talk, we’re just going to have to do what we have to do. We’re going to have to play organized, play as a team and show them what we’re really made of.”
As he did late in the playoffs last year when Edwards dislocated his foot, Curry moved over to run the point and did so admirably. He finished with 13 points and had six assists.
“TJ is a do-it-all guy,” Arbitello said. “He’s a lot stronger, a lot smarter and a lot more confident. He hit some big shots for us today.”
Although he struggled with his shot, junior guard Omar Calhoun still finished with a game-high 23 points and six rebounds, going 12-of-12 from the foul line.
“I was real disappointed in the way I played, but I’m just going to continue to work hard,” Calhoun said. “I had to do other things in order to help the team out.”
Christ the King led for much of the game and appeared ready to pull away in the second half, leading by 13 on a Calhoun three-pointer with 3:18 left in the third quarter. But led by Tyquan Goodlett (18 points), Thomas Jefferson (2-1), ranked No. 3 in the city by the Post, roared back to tie the game on a layup by Xavier Thomas.
But the Royals regained their composure and closed out the game like the defending champions they are. And Lewis and fellow sophomore Jordan Fuchs showed a glimpse of what’s to come at Christ the King.
“The future looks bright,” Arbitello said.
So does the present.
