JUSTIN MOODY can be forgiven for not being sure of the number.
Let's see. Did he make three visits last week to a doctor connected with Temple's Sports Medicine centers. Or was it four?
Whatever the number, the goal was clearly spelled out. The 6-3, 265-pound Moody, a George Washington High junior who has already bagged an offer from Rutgers, did not want to miss another football meeting with Frankford, especially since this one would decide the Public AAAA title.
"First they had to decide if I could play with the broken thumb," Moody said. "Once they said I could, they had to make sure they could find the right padding to cover the cast.
"I kept thinking, 'This has to happen. I have to play. Work this out.' "
First, be advised that Washington is again the kingpin. Saturday at Northeast, the Eagles posted a 20-13 triumph to capture their third crown in Pub AAAA's 4 years of existence and 12th overall in coach Ron Cohen's 27 seasons.
Second, let us tell you Moody broke his left thumb a week ago, in the semifinal vs. Germantown, on a hard hit by Pitt-bound Will Parks. The two-way end (tight on offense) was making a catch at the time.
Third, digest this: Moody missed the regular-season meeting with Frankford, captured by the Pioneers, 21-20, because he'd been ejected from the previous game vs. Northeast.
"Not being able to play, that was terrible," Moody said. "Losing by one point made me very frustrated because I kept thinking it was my fault.
"I was trying my best on the sideline, getting my teammates hyped and trying to provide energy. But just standing there is not the same as being on the field. Their quarterback went crazy that game."
Indeed. Tim DiGiorgio, a junior lefty, passed 21-for-26 for 304 yards and two touchdowns.
This time, though DiGiorgio now stands as the Pub's one-season leader for passing yards (2,053) and touchdowns (26), relentless pressure from Moody and his playmates kept him in something resembling check (13-for-28, 182, one TD).
In addition to Moody, Washington's four-man line included end Kevin White and tackles Zaire Hollerway (also unavailable, due to ejection, for that first Frankford meeting) and Larheim Brown. Plus, first-year defensive coordinator Keith Kerrin often ordered two linebackers to step forward and wedge their way into the line.
"We had to get maximum pressure," Moody said. "We couldn't let [DiGiorgio] do that to us again. For the most part, we were happy with how things went."
