LEWISTON, N.Y. - Considering his background, it’s no surprise Jalen Duff became the first 8th-grader to ever start a varsity game at Lew-Port.

"His dad started dribbling him when he was in kindergarten," says Lancers head coach Matthew Bradshaw. "He would bring him to practices. His dad brought him to the gym because his older brother played."

"It’s an honor, because I’ve put in a lot of work," says Duff about making history. "Coaches help me out through the way. It’s been a journey."

Jalen doesn’t go up against many other 8th-graders.

"Usually older than me. I don’t get to face younger kids, but it helps me to see what older and stronger kids are," he says. 

He faces mismatches almost every game. Other point guards are usually bigger, stronger, faster and older - not that it matters.

"What you cannot measure is his heart," says Bradshaw. "The kid’s fearless. The kid’s gone up against Noah Hutchins, the kid’s gone up against Willie Lightfoot."

When Jalen first got to varsity, he admitted that he cared a lot more about scoring buckets than he did preventing them. That’s when coach stepped in and inspired Jalen to care more about defense.

"He would yell at me to get me to play defense," says Duff. "Just slide my feet and stop the ball and help defense. In the beginning I didn’t really care, but now I see you gotta play defense to make it."

Coach Bradshaw says the defense is much better, while his confidence has improved even more.

"He’s asked to guard some of these guys. Not many 8th-graders that are 14 years are gonna ask you that," he says.

While Jalen says older players try to bully him with their size advantage, it hasn't stopped him from playing an important role on one of the better teams in Class A.

"He’s realized that he’s our main point guard," says Bradshaw. "He’s also our main three-point shooting threat. He’s doing things in 8th grade that some kids in 10th, 11th can’t do. I just think the sky’s the limit, and his potential’s untapped right now. We’ll see where he’s at in four years from now."

For now, he’s worried about his first section tournament game this Saturday.