While growing up, it wasn’t much of a secret that Seamus Bieg was going to attend Camden Catholic High School and probably play basketball. Both of his parents, Tim and Kate, graduated from Camden Catholic in the late 1990s, but his lineage at the school goes back much further.
Seamus’ maternal grandparents, Jim and Agnes (Weatherby) Madden, received their diplomas at Camden Catholic in 1957 and 1963, respectively. Three of his great-grandparents also graduated from Camden Catholic on his mother’s side of the family. Agnes’ father, Frank Weatherby, was in the Class of 1935. Jim’s parents, Rose (DelDuca) Madden (Class of 1927) and the Hon. Thomas Madden (Class of 1926), were in the first two classes to ever graduate from the school.
“I think I was wearing a Camden Catholic shirt when I was 5 or 6 years old,” Seamus said with a smile. “It’s kind of surreal, and I’ve learned to appreciate everything here.”
Before he was even enrolled, Seamus would attend Camden Catholic basketball games with his dad, and Tim Bieg could point to his name up on the career scoring list with 1,503 points. They could also roam the hallways and find a photo of Seamus’ great-grandmother Rose, who played on the first girls basketball team in school history. Aunts and uncles played multiple sports, and his mother played field hockey and lacrosse.
“We never told him or pushed him to come here because we didn’t have to,” Tim Bieg said. “He just always wanted to come here … which is a special thing for me and my wife. It’s been tremendous.”
Last year, Seamus was part of a Camden Catholic basketball team that surpassed all expectations and made an incredible postseason run by winning multiple thrilling double-overtime games en route to an appearance in the Non-Public A state championship game at Rutgers University.
“That was a fairy tale run in the playoffs,” said Kate Bieg, senior director of marketing and communications at Camden Catholic. “At the end of the day, winning those last few games in the playoffs, every game felt like a state championship.”
Seamus didn’t see the court much as a freshman and recorded just 11 points that year. But since then, he’s been one of the most dangerous shooters in South Jersey. He’s etched his own name in history by breaking the school’s single-season 3-pointer record (72) with 74 during his junior year. He also joined his father in the exclusive 1,000-point club on Jan. 18 in a game against Holy Cross Preparatory Academy.
“The growth I’ve seen [in] Seamus … has made me really proud,” his mother said.
Seamus admits his friends joke with him about living up to his father’s legacy, but he takes it all in stride. After all, both father and son can say they played in a state championship. His father went in 1994 during his freshman season, and again in 1996 for his junior year. Seamus enjoyed the magical ride last season.
He also found himself as the lone returning starter from that team this year. With transfer rules becoming easier, Seamus could have chased glory with a team closer to a championship.
“To his credit, he never once took the easy way out. He’s invested in the school, and he’s invested in the program,” Tim Bieg said.
On Jan. 8, the Irish took down heavily favored Bishop Eustace thanks to a buzzer-beater shot by sophomore Rashad Donaldson. It sparked a four-game winning streak through Jan. 14, as Camden Catholic held a 7-3 record.
“This offseason, I made it my focus to improve my leadership, be more vocal and be the best possible leader that I could be,” Seamus said. “We have a freshman and a sophomore starting. I just learned to build relationships with them and make sure they are ready for next year, and the years after that.”
This spring, Seamus will graduate from Camden Catholic exactly 100 years after his great-grandfather. But the Bieg family will continue to keep Camden Catholic’s enrollment healthy for the foreseeable future. His sister Theresa is a sophomore and part of the Irish’s swim team. Two younger siblings are at Saint Rose of Lima in Haddon Heights and are likely future Irish students.
“I wish more kids could experience this,” Tim Bieg said. “Our kids all went to Saint Rose, and everyone jokes, saying we are the biggest promoters of Camden Catholic. It really is a beautiful thing here, especially with the basketball program [with Coaches Jim and Matt Crawford] and the legacy they’ve built here.”
Seamus has certainly taken advantage of all the school has to offer.
“It’s been awesome,” he said. “I’ve been involved in a bunch of activities like the Green and White Society, which is basically helping freshmen who are coming into the school get adjusted. Same thing with Link Crew. We just kind of help freshmen and transfers get adjusted, and it’s really helped improve my leadership qualities by talking to new people and building relationships.
“That’s what’s so great about this school,” he continued. “It’s such a diverse school, and you get to meet people from so many different backgrounds. I’m happy to go to school every day here.”
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