Sean Welde (left) high fives Seamus Bieg (right) during a break in play during the Non-Public A state final played at Jersey Mike's Arena on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey on Friday, March 14, 2025. Collin Conway/D2 Sports Network
PISCATAWAY - Not many people had the Camden Catholic High School basketball team representing South Jersey in the Non-Public A state final.
Despite many doubts and questions, the Irish prevailed through the South Jersey Non-Public A bracket and reclaimed the sectional title it had not won in six years. The underdog story came to a heartbreaking end as Bergen Catholic stormed back late in the fourth quarter to swipe the Non-Public A state crown from the hands of the Irish in a 52-49 final.
En route to a spot in the state final, Camden Catholic knocked off multiple top-ten teams in the state, including St. Peter's and heated rival Paul VI.
"I'm really proud of the underclassmen that stepped up on this team," Sean Welde said. "Nobody really thought we'd be in this position except us. That just proves that we had the chemistry and team to make it all the way."
Welde, a Villanova football commit, utilized his size and strength as the team's go-to power forward. The 6-6 senior notched a total of 177 points and 169 rebounds, good for third on the team in the boards department.
Looking ahead, the Irish are in luck as they will return three out of their five starters from this season. Seamus Bieg, the team's second-leading scorer with 450 points, will spearhead the roster's three-point category next season. Bieg drained a team-high 74 three-pointers as a junior.
Bryce Clark and Azyris Richmond will also return for their junior seasons. Even though Clark may stand at a stout 5-foot-6, the sophomore stood out in every facet of the game. Clark poured in 306 points, pulled in 84 rebounds, and distributed 68 assists. Richmond, standing a skyscraping 6-foot-8, tallied 315 points, 233 rebounds, and swatted 20 blocks in a breakout season for the Irish.
"Luke (Kennevan) and Sean are my best friends," Bieg said. "We worked out together all summer preparing for this season and they've taught me a lot about how to be a leader. We're definitely going to miss their leadership next year but that just means younger guys are going to have to step up to get us to this spot next year."
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