By John Knebels • Posted February 9, 2026

By the time the ball left Derrick “Mir” Morton-Rivera’s hands, the moment had already been years in the making.

On Jan. 30, in front of family, teammates, and a packed Father Judge High School gym, the senior guard delivered the defining shot of his high school career — a transition three-pointer that did far more than add to the scoreboard. It etched his name permanently into the Crusaders’ record books.

Morton-Rivera became Father Judge’s all-time leading scorer during a 97–71 win over Conwell-Egan, finishing with 19 points on six-of-eight shooting. The basket, with 4:50 remaining in the second quarter, pushed his career total to 1,261 points, surpassing the previous program record of 1,260 set by 2017 graduate Marc Rodriguez.

“I always want more,” Morton-Rivera said. “I’ve achieved a lot of things — the PCL and state championship, 1,000 points, first-team All-Catholic. Then this season started in an unimaginable way, getting hurt and being out for almost a month. So I was still grateful to be able to break the all-time record while battling through injuries.”

The milestone arrived quietly — a pass ahead, a catch on the wing from freshman Khory Copeland Jr., a confident release — before the significance fully registered. After a timeout, Morton-Rivera was surrounded at half court by roughly 25 family members as the moment finally settled in.

For Father Judge coach Chris Roantree, the achievement felt inevitable.

“It’s not surprising that he became the all-time leading scorer,” Roantree said. “He’s been able to score the ball since he was a freshman. I think he really developed into a three-level scorer rather than just a shooter, which has helped him grow as a player.”

What made the record more meaningful was the road Morton-Rivera took to reach it.

Much of his senior season has been defined by recovery after suffering a significant ankle injury on Dec. 6, diagnosed as a Grade 2 sprain — an injury that threatened to derail both his season and his pursuit of the record.

“It was pretty bad,” Morton-Rivera said. “Originally I was supposed to be back in about eight to 12 weeks. I was on crutches for about a week or so, just doing a lot of rehab — learning how to walk again without limping and regaining the strength in my ankle.”

The process tested his patience. After weeks of rehab came running, jumping, and gradual contact, all under close supervision. Even when he returned to action on Dec. 27, Morton-Rivera admitted he wasn’t himself.

“I was still limping around,” he said. “I’m still recovering now, just in the process of trying to gain my explosiveness back and being able to dunk.”

Roantree saw the effects extend beyond the ankle.

“We were concerned because it was his ankle and he hasn’t had the explosiveness that he always has,” Roantree said. “It also impacted other things like his back. The good news was he didn’t fracture anything, but sometimes a sprain can be worse.”

For a player who had never dealt with a major injury before, the setback was jarring.

“I was concerned in the moment because I had never had a serious injury like this that took me out the first half of the season,” Morton-Rivera said. “Yes, I had the goal of becoming the all-time leader, but I wasn’t too worried about it because I knew we still had a lot of games left. I was just focused on getting healthy.”

That perspective has defined Morton-Rivera’s career at Judge — steady growth, resilience, and a relentless drive.

Last season, he earned first-team all-state honors while helping lead the Crusaders to PCL and state championships — scoring 19 points in the latter. He surpassed the 1,000-point mark, established himself as one of the area’s premier guards, and committed to continue his academic and athletic career at Temple University this fall.

Yet even with the accolades, the record is just one chapter.

“It’s just a great feeling leaving a mark at Father Judge and making a name for myself,” Morton-Rivera said. “Me and my teammates do not feel overwhelmed at all by what we have accomplished. Knowing how it feels to win championships now makes us want to feel that feeling again. It was an unreal feeling.”

To those closest to him, the impact goes beyond numbers.

“Being alongside Derrick is really special,” teammate Rocco Westfield said. “He is just a great teammate, and it makes the game easier when you’re playing with him.”

On a January night at Judge, with the record secured and the season still unfolding, one thing was clear: the story of Derrick “Mir” Morton-Rivera is far from finished.

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Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com or on ‘X’ @johnknebels.