Rakeem Christmas
shoots for success

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

Growing up, Rakeem Christmas was always a regular on the baseball diamond, excelling as a pitcher, first baseman and outfielder.
But his body demanded more.
By age 13, Christmas stood tall at 6 feet. Now the North Catholic High School freshman is 7 inches higher — and using it to reach for new heights.
"I used to play a lot of baseball, but then I started really growing and people were like, ‘Why don’t you start playing basketball?’" recalled Christmas. "I gave it a try and loved it."
The 16-year-old made his debut on the courts two years ago with the Koby AAU team, a local squad in his Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood.
Since then, Christmas has decided to team up with North Catholic’s Falcons and give high school basketball a shot.
He’s already taking major strides.
The center — one of the tallest guys on the team — was named to the Falcons’ varsity squad and has helped the team go 4-2 in non-league games this year.
The Falcons went 1-1 at the 10th annual Make a Wish Tournament — a fund-raising event to help children coping with life-threatening illness — held over the weekend at Germantown Academy. North Catholic lost by one point to Germantown Academy in the first round, but came back to defeat Episcopal Academy on Saturday.
Traveling back to their home pit, the Falcons went on to beat Monsignor Bonner, 62-51, on Monday. The official season begins with a 7:30 p.m. game on Friday against Cardinal Dougherty High School.
"I’m really blessed this year with a great group of kids," said coach Mike McCarron. "I believe that we’ve gotten better and better. We really want to build on last year."
Last season, North Catholic made its first playoff appearance since 2000, but a loss in the semifinals ended the Falcons’ season. This year, they’re hoping to get another chance.
"It’s going really well so far," said Christmas. "And it’s exciting to be a part of it. It feels real good to be here as a freshman. I think we have a good team and a real shot at the championship."
For Christmas, playing with the Falcons is a dream come true. In fact, he was so intent on attending North Catholic that he doesn’t mind the daily hour-and-20-minute commute to school.
"I went to North Catholic because of the education and basketball," he said. "But I am really looking forward to working with this team and learning more about basketball.
"High school ball is a lot more challenging for me," he added. "The guys are stronger than me, so I have to put a lot more effort into it. But I like the challenge."
And with basketball standouts Lenny Young, R.J. Handy and Velton Jones as fellow Falcons, Christmas has an opportunity to learn from some of the best.
Young is a senior guard who sank 270 points last year. Guards Velton and Handy have a combined 388 points, collectively forming a trio of excellence at North Catholic.
"I’m learning more about basketball every day," said Christmas. "I’m working hard. I want to earn the respect of my teammates. That’s important to me."
In the spring, Christmas hopes to be part of the Falcons on the baseball diamond. But for now, the freshman is embracing his time on the basketball court.
"I like both sports," he said. "But I definitely like basketball better. It’s perfect for me." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com