Hank Tierney sat atop the bleachers and noticed a speedy defender who kept making all the tackles and asked his assistant coach, "Where does that kid go to school?"
Little did the Shaw football coach know that the eighth grader on the Woodmere Playground football team already was enrolled at Shaw.
Allen Shaw, now a sophomore two-sport standout, has fast become one of the leading players on the Archbishop Shaw football defense after he played the past two seasons at point guard on the state-contending basketball team.
Shaw, a full-time basketball starter last season, will return to coach Wesley Laurendine's basketball team once football season ends, something that might not happen for another month.
Archbishop Shaw (8-2) has the No. 1 seed in the LHSAA Division II select football playoffs and will play Friday at home against No. 16 Loranger (6-5).
After reaching the state semifinals last season, a trip to the Caesars Superdome for the state finals would seem to be the next logical step for this resurgent program.
That would keep Allen Shaw -- who averaged more than 10 points, five assists and three steals last season -- off the hardwood until at least mid-December.
"I just hope he comes back healthy," Laurendine quipped.
On a football team that includes Michigan football commitments Jasper Parker at running back and Jacob Washington at receiver, Allen Shaw made a name for himself with strong play in the secondary and in the return game.
"It's been real fun for me," said Shaw, an all-district cornerback selection who goes by the nickname of Red because his father and two brothers also are named Allen. "Just coming back out and playing football, and those guys being willing to take me in, it's been real good."
Shaw joined the football team after Tierney asked him for the better part of two school years if he planned to come out for the team. Shaw always said yes, but Tierney was never sure until Shaw arrived to pick up his equipment on the first day of spring practices.
"It was easy to see he was very athletic," said Tierney, who noted that the jumping and change-of-direction skills he demonstrated on the basketball court often translate well to the football field.
Allen Shaw did what he could at practice to make an impression.
"I just was doing everything coach was telling me to do," he said. "Keeping my feet right, playing coverages the correct way. Being the player that I am. Making plays, running to the ball, really just having fun."
Shaw has a team-high four interceptions and made big plays in several key games this season, including a pick-six against Belle Chasse. Shaw had a "big interception," Tierney said, in the win against Walker, and "he had a couple good punt returns in the St. James game."
On the basketball court, Shaw played behind all-state point guard Kameron Johnson as an eighth grader and then became a starter last season, helping Archbishop Shaw make a third consecutive state semifinal appearance.
"He's the kind of guy to step in after Kam to bring that competitiveness to our team," said Laurendine, whose deep and talented basketball team opened the season Tuesday and beat Madison Prep 61-55, an impressive win against the school that bumped Archbishop Shaw from the playoffs the past two seasons.
For basketball, Allen Shaw wears jersey No. 4 in tribute for another brother, Allen Shaw IV, who died at birth. His brothers go by nicknames Junior and Cinco. They have a sister, Makayla. Junior attended John Ehret; Cinco is in eighth grade at Shaw; and Makayla is 10.
Laurendine said the nickname for Red is fitting for his fiery personality. He brought that same spark to the football defense. He could soon be part of a football team that gets to play for a state championship. And then possibly compete for another title on the hardwood three months later.