He’s been called “Duce” all his life, but on the basketball court, Andrew Prete is second to none.
The number two seems to follow the Camden Catholic High School senior guard, whether it’s his uniform number or each time he sinks a bucket for two points for the Irish.
“It’s been a nickname I’ve had my whole life, so I’ve just kept it,” Prete said with a laugh after introducing himself as Duce. “My dad came up with it. He’s a big [Philadelphia] Eagles fan and he loved [former Eagles running back] Duce Staley. And I have an older brother, so I was the second boy in the family. So I was Duce.”
It was only fitting that in his second game of the year, Prete scored a team-high 22 points to lead Camden Catholic to a 12-point victory over Moorestown in the Jimmy V Tournament at Cherokee High School on Dec. 18. It was the team’s first opportunity to play in a showcase following a year when no fans were permitted to attend games.
“I’m glad it’s back to the way it is this year,” Prete said. “It’s a ton different. Just playing in front of people is great. Last year … had a weird vibe. Not being able to see my mom and dad in the crowd was disappointing. I love playing for them. They are my biggest supporters.”
Prete’s parents were there for the tournament, and they plan to be at many more during his senior year. The 6-foot-2 shooting guard is off to a fast start with 39 points in his first two games, which were both Irish victories. Prete is expected to play a larger role this year after he was a secondary scorer during his sophomore and junior seasons, missing a large chunk with an injury. He had to wait until his senior year for a true opportunity to break out.
“My sophomore year, I had to get knee surgery,” Prete said. “I had really bad tendonitis in my knee. It was a nagging injury for months and it took me out. The fall of sophomore year, I had surgery and I was able to come back at the end of the year and contribute. But we fell one game short of a state championship.”
The Irish went 20-9 two years ago and lost to St. Augustine Preparatory School by four points in the South Jersey Non-Public A sectional final. Camden Catholic followed with a 9-3 season last year in a shortened campaign without playoffs. Hopes are very high once again for the Irish, who are determined to make a long playoff run.
“I’ve been looking forward to this season a lot,” Prete said. “I think we could have won it all [last year]. We had a special group of guys, and it hurt not being able to have the opportunity to win it all. Ever since the end of the season last year, we’ve been working really hard and getting to know the new guys, and we’re growing as a team. I think we have a good shot this year.”
Camden Catholic’s top three scorers last year – Zach Hicks, Lucas Dunn and Colin Merriman – all graduated, but the Irish have been putting in the work and forming new chemistry in hopes of chasing down the championship season that eluded them two years ago.
“We’re a tight-knit group,” Prete said. “We love practicing and working hard.”
“It’s always been a joy to play basketball,” Prete continued. “But when you have a great group of guys and coaches like we do, it makes it that much better to come in and play. You want to go to practice because you want to get better and keep growing as a team and take that next step.”
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