No time out

Corey Moultrie is a jack of all positions on the football field. Depending on who wins the coin toss, the Edward Bok Tech senior opens the game as the kicker or kick returner.

On defense, Moultrie is the one diving for interceptions, pounding the ground in frustration if the ball slides off his hands.

The versatile player also is the energizer of the Wildcats offense, running off tackle to rack up every yard he can. The grass stains all over his blue number-three jersey attest to his hard-fought games.

"It takes a toll on me sometimes, but in the long run I feel good," said the 17-year-old Overbrook resident.

Moultrie is feeling especially good about last Thursday’s 8-0 win over John Bartram. He scored the game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion to lead the Wildcats (5-2 overall, 5-0 league) to the Public South Division title.

"I feel today was the best game of the season because it was for the division championship," Moultrie said after celebrating the victory at midfield with his teammates. "We felt as though we needed to win this game."

Every year, the division winner is decided in this cross-town rivalry. In this season’s defensive battle, the Wildcats were limited to 7 yards of offense in the first half. The game’s lone touchdown came with 11:07 left to play.

"The coaches were telling us all week that it was going to be a tough game and we were preparing for it," Moultrie said.

When the coaches called an off-tackle play for the athlete, he dashed 29 yards for the game-winning score. He also caught a pass from senior quarterback Joe "Pepe" DeSalis for the two-point conversion.

Moultrie, who grew up playing football with the Sigma Sharks in South Philly, finished the game with 53 rushing yards. Although it got the job done, the performance was nothing compared to his Oct. 16 showing against Dobbins, when the running back racked up a school-record 279 yards. The previous mark was 227 yards, held by 2003 grad Akeem "Feathers" Green.

Despite Moultrie’s efforts, Bok ended up losing the game 20-14.

The game against Bartram was the most important of the season to Moultrie — and not just because it secured the division title. It might have been the last time that Bok and Bartram faced each other for the division crown. The talk around the league is that Bok will be placed in a new division next season with the city’s other AAA teams.

This is the Wildcats’ third straight division crown, and the most memorable for Moultrie.

"This feels better because I am a senior now," he said.

Though Moultrie is very serious about his football, he also finds humor in the game, like when he bounced a punt off the head of a Bartram player in the second quarter of last week’s game.

"It wasn’t on purpose," he insisted.

And in last month’s game against University City, Moultrie couldn’t stop laughing over the sight of coach Tom DeFelice’s teeth chattering from the chilly temperature.

"He was laughing at me because I was freezing," the coach recalled, but added, "Once he steps on the line of scrimmage, he is focused on football. He is a hell of an athlete."

Moultrie started playing an impact role junior year with a team-best six interceptions. This season, the two-way player, who is receiving some interest from Widener University, is putting up his best numbers on offense, leading Bok with 595 rushing yards and 46 points. He will attempt to boost those numbers tomorrow afternoon when the Wildcats close out the regular season against West Philadelphia. Next week, Bok will schedule a postseason tune-up against a non-playoff team.

The Wildcats elected to pass on the Public League playoffs, which begin Nov. 6, for a chance to compete in the state tournament. Bok will represent the Philadelphia Public League, now known as PIAA District XII, in the AAA playoffs. This is the first season that Philadelphia Public League teams are eligible to compete for state titles.

"It’s very exciting because we are the first team in the Public League to get a chance to participate in the state tournament," Moultrie said.

The Wildcats earned the invite by outperforming Ben Franklin and William Penn, the league’s other AAA squads.

The date, time and opponent will be determined over the next couple of weeks. Bok is pushing hard to open the playoffs at its friendly South Philadelphia confines.

"It’s the perfect setting," said DeFelice, now in his 12th season, "We should have a home game right here, where we’ve been practicing since Aug. 16."

Moultrie already is looking beyond the opener.

"I just want to play for the championship, and I hope we get there," he said.

Public South Division (through 10/27)
Bok 5-0
Bartram 4-1
Overbrook 4-2
Ben Franklin 3-2
Southern 1-4
West Philadelphia 1-4
University City 0-5<

2004 Bok schedule/results
King L 16-8
University City W 6-0
Southern W 22-6
Overbrook W 40-14
Ben Franklin W 26-6
Dobbins L 20-14
Bartram W 8-0
Tomorrow West Phila…Away 2:30 p.m.