Tahjere McCall is a player who truly knows how to play the game. McCall can play in the open court. He can score off the dribble. He can hit the open man. McCall will be showcasing his talents when Engineering and Science hosts Boys’ Latin on Tuesday, February 14 at 3:15 p.m. in a Public League playoff game, which should be one of the more interesting matchups of the day.

McCall is the leading scorer for E&S. He’s averaging 16.5 points a game. E&S has been very impressive this season, posting an overall 21-1 record. The team is coming off a playoff win against West Philadelphia High School last week. He scored a game high 26 points in the victory.

“It feels good,” McCall said. “We have to keep playing as a team. I think we can go far. We have some great players on our team like Dijon (Eggleton), Brandon (Brown) and Omari (Franklin). We just have to keep playing together. We’ve played well all season long. We’ve only lost one game.”

McCall, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, is one of the top players in the Public League. He’s looking forward to playing college basketball next season. McCall has benefited from the veteran coaching staff at E&S, which includes head coach Charlie Brown and assistants Rich Yankowitz, Ken Hamilton and Phil Brown. He also credits the school for much of his success.

“This is a great school,” McCall said. “I thank all my teachers and staff at the school for their help. I know Mr. Brown and the staff have really helped me. I wouldn’t be out there if it weren’t for them. Mr. Brown is a good guy. He’s always there. He’s always been a mentor. He’s great to everybody here.”

McCall lives in North Philadelphia. He has picked up a lot of basketball knowledge from his father and from playing in the neighborhood.

“My dad (Gerald McCall) has been a big help to me,” McCall said. “He comes to a lot of my games. I play a lot of basketball at the Nicetown Boys and Girls Club. Shane Victorino helped us a lot (with his donation). That’s where I play most of my games.”

Brown feels McCall’s overall play has contributed to the team’s success. He believes E&S has just put together a brilliant season overall.

“It’s incredible,” Brown said. “We’re 21-1. We’ve played some real good competition. The guys have shown up and bought into the system. They know what it takes to win and they’re playing well together.”

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .