New LP Board Member recalls school’s first State Championship. Star point guard Antonio Kellem returns to serve his alma mater.
A decade ago, Lincoln Park was one the verge of its first state basketball championship. And one of LP’s newest Board of Trustees members remembers that fateful evening well.
That’s because Antonio Kellem (Class of 2015) was the starting point guard on LP’s first state championship-winning squad. And today, as a member of Lincoln Park’s school board, Kellem remembers that unforgettable evening—and how his time at LP led up to it.
Kellem’s squad overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to defeat Philadelphia powerhouse Math, Civics and Science. That secured LP’s first state title—and it also wrote Kellem into the Midland history books.
Coming back from such a huge lead, Kellem says today, “just kind of adds a little extra to the story, that makes it a little bit sweeter.”
In an exclusive conversation with Kellem, we learn more about that memorable victory—as well as what brought Kellem back to his alma mater!
Tell us about your early athletic career. Before you came to LP, you played basketball at Freedom Middle School, correct?
Well, starting out in fifth grade, I was honestly no good. I was just taller than most kids. I had an early growth spurt. But eventually I started to get better and better as I worked out with my dad. He was a very big basketball guy.
And by the time seventh grade came around, and I actually got somewhat coordinated, I started to “become the guy,” I guess you could say. (Laughs) But I had some really great coaches that put some good fundamentals of basketball into me.
At the time you came to Lincoln Park, the basketball program was growing, but there were no state championships yet. Why did you decide to come here?
I had heard about Lincoln Park and what it had to offer. But I didn't know anything about the basketball team or anything. I just heard they had health science. And growing up, I wanted to be an anesthesiologist, after a surgery I had. That was really my goal, when I heard they had a health science program.
And then we ended up playing Midland, my eighth-grade year. We got to actually see what Lincoln Park looked like when we drove past. My parents and I did some research and figured out what we had to do to apply and get in, and that's really where I kind of fell in love with the school itself.
Once I applied, I went to go see them play against Rochester. And I was like, there's no way I'm ever gonna get a chance to play here. But if I can play, that'd be a good bonus. And I ended up landing on Lincoln Park because it felt like the right place for me, outside of any other places I was looking at.
It was kind of a last-minute discovery, but I'm so happy I did it. Because I don't think I would be where I'm at today without making that decision.
You weren’t even sure you’d get to play at LP, and yet you came in and started from Day One, all four years. How did that happen?
When I saw them play—I’ve seen Devonte Watson, obviously, who is one of the best to come out of Lincoln Park. Just seeing their size, I was like, man, this is insane.
But when I made the decision to come to Lincoln Park, we had a open gym. And I realized there weren't a lot of people bringing the ball up and controlling the pace. When I was at Freedom, that was something I started to do as I got better. I kind of got where I was comfortable in bringing the ball up and just fitting in where I could. And I think that gave me the opportunity to get looked at—like, hey, this guy can actually handle the ball well. He's not turning it over too much. He's calm.
And then Coach (Mark) Javens said, “Did you ever play point guard?” And I said, “Nope.” And he said, “Well, that's where we want you, if you’re looking to hop on the team.” My dad and I just went back to the drawing board, and I started to develop myself as a point guard.
I was given the keys to the vehicle, I guess you could say. And thankfully, I had a lot of talent around me. So to step in and just make sure they get the ball in the right places, that made my job easier. But it was a little bit of luck and a little bit of extra work to make sure I was ready for that position.
As a four-year starter, with a state championship happening during your junior year, there must be lots and lots of memories. But if you had to boil the whole thing down to a single moment that you remember best from that time, what would that be?
There's so many, for sure. And to boil it down, obviously, winning the state championship in 2014 was the biggest moment for me. And the reason being, in my freshman year, we were able to win a WPIAL championship. It was great, and we made it to states but, unfortunately, fell short.
And when we were able to accomplish a state championship, the biggest moment is afterwards, everyone being together. But me and my dad, you know, had been working out since I was in fifth grade. In that moment, I actually shed a few tears. I think he did as well. My parents, they sacrificed so much for me to continue to play basketball and be able to travel and do it. That moment was the biggest one for me. It was like all our hard work paid off.
There was a school of thought for a long time that whoever comes out of the Western Pennsylvania is destined to lose the championship game against a team from Philadelphia. [Philadelphia’s] Math, Civics and Science had had beaten Lincoln Park in the state championship game in 2011. What was the thinking going into that rematch in 2014?
We know Philly—that part of the state is very big on basketball. And at Lincoln Park, we were, I think, on the cusp of breaking through to that same talent level, and we had everything that we needed to get the job done. But even at halftime, I remember we were down—I believe it was 16 points. We had a big play going into the half from Maverick [Rowan], though. Basically, it was like a touchdown pass to Elijah [Minnie]. And I think that one play really gave us the momentum going into the half. Like, hey, even though we're down 16, we're not out.
We had a really big halftime speech from Coach Javens. He said, “This is the reason we did everything we did this season. We've been here before and lost. Don't let this be the time that you wish you did something more.” And so that was really the turning point of, like, all right, if we're the team that we want to be, this is the moment to do it.
You went to Shippensburg University and did exactly the same thing that you did at Lincoln Park. From Day One, you started almost every game, and you became a cornerstone of the program. You played in several NCAA tournament games. Do you have a favorite moment from those four years?
We won a PSAC championship my sophomore year at Shippensburg. And the biggest highlight was that when I first got there, the team was under .500. We didn't have a positive record. And the girl’s team that used to play before us was so good that everyone would come to the game and watch them play. And then when we played, the gym would be almost emptied out— which was a surreal moment, especially coming from Lincoln Park.
But we were able to build the culture at Shippensburg to have people want to come out to games cheering us on. And when we won that championship, it kind of cemented us in the history of Shippensburg. And I think to this day, they're still reaping some of those benefits because they got a brand new locker room. And when we were there, we just were sharing it with everybody. (Laughs)
You studied marketing in college. Was there was a particular class or a particular teacher at LP that helped you at the college level—something you were able to draw on to help you be successful there?
I think how Lincoln Park was structured, having the block scheduling where you have your four classes throughout a semester, really prepared me for the college level. The classes that we had at Shippensburg were shorter than the ones that we had at Lincoln Park. I was like, man, this seems 10 times easier.
Really, all of the Health Science classes that I had really did prepare me for college level courses, because we were going into depth on so many things, and we were very hands-on, in in the field that I wanted to be in at that time. I think it just got me ready to lock in for the school side of things. My biggest goal of going to college was to get a college education, and Lincoln Park set me up for that in many ways.
One of the classes I do remember being very, very tough was Advanced Bio. It was just one of those classes that really pushed you to the limit of what you know and what you're going to be prepared for on the next level, in terms of just the course material. So that was the ones I do remember, and I had one of my good buddies on the team, Nick Aloi, who was in that class.
But there were so many teachers in classes that I remember, especially on the Health Science side, like Mrs. Roach, Ms. Castelli, Ms. Harvey. They helped me get ready for the next level, and they were all fantastic. It made my journey into the college level 10 times easier, just being prepared with the courses they gave us there.
You’re now a senior sales manager at ADP. What the next step for you?
The sales role is very competitive. I think being an athlete growing up is a huge part of wanting to have that competitive drive and everything I'm doing to keep me motivated. But I believe the next step for me is to eventually manage my own team, that would have people like me under them to drive the number to get them to the next level. So that way they're able to reach other goals as a sales rep.
It's more of a motivational factor of, like, hey, this is what you got to do to get to your goals, and I'm going to help you get there. I'm very customer service-based in the sales role, which you should always be. I like to make sure people are taken care of.
Your wife also went to Lincoln Park, I think?
Yes, Alexandra. I met her my freshman year at Lincoln Park. She was a dancer at the time and eventually moved over to Health Science. We've been together since freshman year, and somehow, she still stuck with me through all the pain and agony I'm sure I put her through, complaining. (Laughs)
In the middle of all this other stuff that you're involved with, you decide to come back and and serve on the board of directors at LP. Why did you feel called to do this?
It's a great question. The amount of experience and memories that I had at Lincoln Park and how it shaped me to be the person I am today, is the reason that I wanna be able to do that for other kids that decide to come to Lincoln Park. Because it is a pretty big jump, especially if, you know, your home school district isn't meeting your needs, or you don't fit in. There are a hundred reasons why Lincoln Park could be an option—I want it to make sense for anyone that's coming here.
Because when I look back, there's so many fond memories. There are so many connections. There are so many people I got to meet, and to see how well everyone from Lincoln Park is doing, I think is a testament to what the school is able to provide us in the future. And then being prepared for those next steps as an adult—even though when you're in high school, you don't see it that way all the time. But the calling that I had is that Lincoln Park did so much for me that it only feels right that if I'm able to give back in any way, shape, or form, that I want to.
And I think being part of the board of directors is one of the greatest honors that I could ask for, but it also gives me insight into what Lincoln Park is trying to accomplish for every other kid that's going to be coming here. And I want to be part of this amazing experience. To me, that brings me so much happiness, because I was one of those kids in the seats experiencing it for the first time.
There are a couple of building projects that are underway at LP. One of those two projects, as you know, is an events center, which would eventually be the new home of the Leopards. What would a facility like that mean for athletics and basketball—and for the school generally?
I think it means the world. When it comes to being an athlete, the environment that you're in and the place that you put in work, really does reflect on how the season can play out. And Midland has such a rich history of basketball, and I think that always flows through Lincoln Park because we're in Midland. Having an events center—it can be night and day for the athletes. And I can say, I wish I had it when I was there. But an events center for Lincoln Park is, I think, just the next step towards the excellence and greatness that Lincoln Park's moving towards.
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school located in Midland, PA, and open to all Pennsylvania families. Students grades 7-12 are bused from more than 90 different school districts to study the arts concentration of their choice: theatre, writing and publishing, media arts, health science and the arts, music, dance, and pre-law and the arts.
For more information, visit lppacs.org or contact: admissions@lppacs.org
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