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In the opening lyric to its 1971 hit song “Joy to the World,” Three Dog Night declared “Jeremiah was a bullfrog.”
Senior Jeremiah Worthem prefers to ponder pachyderm power as a forward for the Center City-based Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School Mighty Elephants. The West Passyunk dweller has led his squad to an undefeated start and already has celebrated two personal accomplishments that he hopes will serve as preludes to greater glory come playoff time.
“The expectations are high for us and especially me as a senior leader, but we’re keeping our focus and staying humble and hungry,” the 18-year-old resident of 21st and McKean streets said. “We’re all friends and we’re having fun.”
Their opponents, however, cannot claim any happiness. The 11-0 Mighty Elephants will welcome the John Bartram Braves to their stomping grounds today, with Worthem looking to build on his averages of 16 points (21.3 points per game against Division-A competition) and nine rebounds. The 6-foot-7 star sees each game as an opportunity to further the faith his coaches placed in him as a sophomore, when he finished second on his unit in scoring on its way to a 26-5 mark and the PIAA Class A state title.
“I liked having a big role so early in my career, yet I could always look to the guys ahead of me for guidance, but I know I have to be more of a contributor in pushing the other players,” Worthem said. “I’ve handled everything OK and want to take us back to the top.”
The two-time All-League selection ascended to the top of his team’s scoring list last year and finished fourth among Division A athletes with an 18.7 average. The Mighty Elephants registered a 19-10 record but could not defend their state crown, dropping their semifinal tilt against the Constitution Generals, fellow Public Leaguers and the eventual champs, at South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St. Worthem, who had given his stock a boost by scoring 22 points and ripping 12 rebounds in the 2011 Class A final, saw the setback as more proof that team victories dwarf personal performances.
“In the 10th grade, I really felt like my hard work was paying off, and our run solidified my thinking that though we have individual roles, we’re nothing without one another,” the teenager, who took up hoops as a sixth grader at F. Amedee Bregy School, 1700 Bigler St., and worked on his skills at Universal Vare Charter Middle School, 2100 S. 24th St., and Chew Playground, 18th Street and Washington Avenue, said. “We want more distinction this time.”
Worthem is pacing the upperclassmen-heavy bunch, which also is receiving great contributions from senior guard Shafeek Taylor, a Roman Catholic High School transfer and an inhabitant of 17th and McClellan streets. Coach Dan Jackson’s charges made their Christmas break a merry occasion, claiming Dec. 29’s Jameer and Pete Nelson Classic at Philadelphia University and Dec. 30’s Boardwalk Classic Showcase at the Wildwoods Convention Center. Those triumphs complemented a fantastic fall for Worthem, who reached 1,000 career points in Dec. 12’s 86-38 ravaging of World Communications Charter School and who signed with Robert Morris University a month earlier.
“Hitting 1,000 was a great feeling,” the leader, who soon should top ’09 graduate Zaahir Smith’s school-record 1,166 points, said. “I’ve benefited from having committed teammates and supporting coaches.”
Those presences aided Worthem as he contemplated a college choice. Numerous Pennsylvania institutions courted him, with Drexel, La Salle, St. Joseph’s and Temple universities looking to keep him in Philadelphia, and the young man, who classifies himself as “a hard-nosed player with an all-around game,” elected to accept the wooing from the staff of the Colonials, Northeast Conference ballers who compete in the Pittsburgh suburb of Moon Township.
“I made an unofficial visit in the summer, but it all came together in the fall when I made my official visit and saw how alive the campus is,” Worthem, who plans to major in sports management and link that with his interest in business, said.
Like his secondary squad, his impending team depends greatly on seniors, so he plans to apply his diligence to earn quality minutes next season.
“Nobody is going to be giving me anything,” Worthem, who desires to improve his strength and ball handling ability before seeking a postsecondary role, said. “If I want to thrive, I’m going to have to want to put in the hard work.”
Worthem has stood out on courts because of his size and agility, but when in school, he relies on his heart to help him to understand that humility yields more lessons than hubris. When looking to guide the Mighty Elephants to crushing wins, he uses figurative hunger for motivation. As a member of his school’s Homeless Project, he sees literal famine as true inspiration.
He and his classmates join the entire student body in raising as much as $1,000 weekly, combining their monetary offerings with clothing, nutritional and toiletry collections for distribution at two shelters and Love Park.
“It really teaches all of us to appreciate what we have and what we can give,” Worthem, who assists in the Thursday evening allocations, said. “I’ve seen friends there to receive, so it’s all very moving.”
As the Mighty Elephants enter the meaty portion of their schedule, he knows they will not be settling for peanuts against foes such as Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., their Jan. 29 foe.
“This school produces winners,” he said. “I’ve been one and want to go out as one.”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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