Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
Joey McLeish understood the remarks made by outsiders when asked why he was going to “that school.” He was a highly touted quarterback coming out of Labrum Middle School, a squat two-story building in Northeast Philadelphia. Many area private programs wanted him. Even major private programs outside the area wanted him, most notably, Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy. McLeish, however, was attracted to “that school.” His answer sparked disbelief in coaches and school administrators, as McLeish recalled them saying, “Why would this white kid want to go to a [majority]-Black school like Imhotep Charter?” “It is a [majority] Black school, and I know I obviously stick out as the only white kid. ... But I get treated like family, like they treat all their students here,” McLeish said. “It’s the reason why I wanted to go there. They do not judge me on race, religion. They treat me as — just ‘Joey, their starting quarterback.’ Imhotep’s teachers are outside-the-box. You can call them your ‘mom’ or your ‘dad.’ The problem I found comes from the ignorance outside.” McLeish, Imhotep’s 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior quarterback, will lead the Panthers’ quest to their 13th-straight Public League championship (and 15th overall) in a rematch against Abraham Lincoln on Saturday afternoon at Northeast High School. Lincoln became the first Public League team to beat Imhotep in six years — snapping the Panthers’ 35-game league winning streak — in a thrilling 26-25 victory on Oct. 18. » READ MORE: Lincoln thought its football season was over, until an overturned suspension presented another chance Most of the football players coming out of Labrum would go to George Washington, or, if they wanted to go the private school route, Father Judge. McLeish chose Imhotep because his friends were going there, though, more importantly, he liked the culture of the African-centered charter school that emphasizes a STEM-based education. . McLeish said he and his parents were not out to make any political statements. He was just looking for a high school where he could play football. “People like putting definitions on things,” he said. “I had people around me questioning my decision, basically saying, ‘You know that you are going to be the only white kid in a [majority]-Black school?’ My parents [John and Jessica] were in favor of me going to Imhotep. Everyone that questioned me began going to games and being in the Imhotep community. They came around to love it. Imhotep welcomed me with open arms more than anyone in the city.” On the Imhotep side, it was not a hard sell. The school carries a high academic reputation with a history of student-athletes matriculating schools like to Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Kentucky, and Drexel. Boys’ basketball coach Andre Noble, who also serves as the school’s chief executive officer, has led the program to 10 PIAA championships. Imhotep remains the only Public League team to have won a PIAA football championship, winning the 5A title in 2023 and 3A title. Panthers football coach Devon Johnson and his staff embraced McLeish. » READ MORE: High school football: It’s a big weekend for PIAA district playoffs and state qualifiers “We welcome everyone here, and Joey wanted to play with his friends,” Johnson said. “Joey could play. What we heard from people around Joey was what a character kid he is. You want your quarterback to be mature and responsible. Being quarterback is a culture in itself, how you carry yourself on the field, how you carry yourself in the classroom and the school hallways. That’s Joey. When we started hearing those things about him, that is when we were hopeful he could be a part of our program. “Joey’s parents are from Philadelphia. They know the city. They know our Imhotep community and the kind of school that we have. Race and religion are never an issue with us. He’s Joey. He is part of this community, and he always has been. It’s why it was a seamless transition.” Mikal Davis, the Panthers’ three-year starter who led them to the 2023 title, took McLeish under his wing his first year. Now at Delaware State, Davis showed McLeish how to carry himself on and off the field, made sure he was engrossed in film study, and the importance of routine. Davis broke down the nuances of the Panthers’ offense and stressed leadership. Anytime McLeish had a question, he knew he could turn to Davis. He was, as McLeish put it, “his big brother,” reminding him to keep his attitude in check and not let outside noise get to him. He also has a close bond with Panthers’ passing game coordinator Nzambu Muinde Jr., Maryland-bound starting guard Jesse Moody, and junior wide receiver Kareem Haqq, among others. Muinde has been with McLeish for the last three years. He likes how McLeish processes information, his throwing technique, and says when McLeish is in a zone, “Joey is unstoppable.” In eight starts this season, McLeish has completed 125 of 218 passes for 1,996 yards and 21 touchdown passes against eight interceptions, one coming in the loss to Lincoln. He averages 250 yards passing a game. He could be the first back-to-back 2,000-yard passer in Imhotep history. » READ MORE: La Salle takes down St. Joe’s Prep to win Catholic League 6A crown: ‘This is only the beginning’ McLeish was bothered by the Lincoln loss. Not scoring a game-deciding two-point conversion at the end of the game still haunts him. When the Imhotep team met the next day over a Zoom call, McLeish took command and apologized to his coaches and teammates for the loss. “That’s Joey. It’s why everyone loves him,” said Muinde, who has been at Imhotep for eight years. “Joey apologized to me. He is accountable. ... My favorite quality about Joey is he has a really big heart. He genuinely cares about other people. He does go through a lot, as the starting quarterback. I wanted to make Joey feel accepted early, and that was never a problem because of Devon Johnson and who he is. We will see more of a dude come out in Joey as a dual-threat quarterback.” “Joey’s parents are from Philadelphia. They know the city. They know our Imhotep community, and the kind of school that we have. Race and religion are never an issue with us. He’s Joey.” Imhotep football coach Devon Johnson McLeish, who carries a 3.0 GPA, was asked to visit Penn State this weekend when the Nittany Lions host Indiana. He says Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti has called and extended a visit and that Ohio State has shown interest. McLeish hopes to grow another inch and add 10 pounds by his senior year. He suffered a concussion in the 30-14 loss to Maryland-based DeMatha Catholic on Sept. 5, which forced him to miss a few games, including Imhotep’s showdown against Inter-Academic League champion Malvern Prep. But it is the Lincoln game McLeish wants back. “I feel we have some of the best coaches in the country, and I felt I let them down,” he said. “Against Lincoln, we hurt ourselves with penalties. We hurt ourselves with our attitude. As a team, we took Lincoln too lightly. Personally, I did. I should have played better. We all played down, and this week we are looking to change that.” Haqq, who missed the first Lincoln game because of injury, has a history with McLeish. They played in grade-school all-star games together and have since grown their connection on field. “We believe in Joey. We trust Joey,” said Haqq, who’s getting attention from Penn State, among other Division I programs, and is among the Panthers’ leading receivers averaging 57 yards per game. “We know Joey will lead us to another Pub title this Saturday when we play Lincoln. Let’s just say we will be a pretty determined team. And we have the quarterback to do it.” After the DeMatha game, McLeish said he was approached by a DeMatha rep about the possibility of going there next year. “I have a home,” McLeish said. “Imhotep.”
