As things turned out, the worst injury was to Garrett Compton's heart.

On Sept. 26, the star senior running back from St. Joseph's Prep suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a partially ripped medial collateral ligament in his left knee on a carry vs. La Salle.

Those teams met Friday night at Northeast for the Catholic AAAA title, and there was Compton, a day after undergoing surgery, as performed by Dr. Peter DeLuca at Methodist Hospital, drawing wild applause from the Prep's student rooters right before the game as he was wheelchaired down the track toward the bench.

Close to there, Compton's 10-year-old brother, Luke, took control of the wheelchair and then looked on with obvious pride as Garrett stood up to exchange hugs with assorted teammates and limped, big-time, to midfield to join the captains for the coin toss.

"The operation was going to be during our winter break," Compton said. "But we moved it up, because a full recovery can take up to 12 months, and I wanted to get started. They only did the ACL, because the MCL regenerates. They don't do the ACL right away, because the swelling has to go down and you have regain full range of motion.

"I asked Dr. DeLuca about going out for the toss. He said it'd be OK if I could take the pain. It didn't hurt there. When I got home later, it did a little."

In the game, the Hawks built a 28-20 lead, then lost, 35-28.

"The whole situation really set in. I felt so hopeless," Compton said. "I wanted to be out there so bad. To help my teammates.

"I went back to the locker room after the game. It was emotional. I hugged a few guys."

Compton spoke Sunday at roughly 5 p.m. Since 9 a.m., he said, he'd been catching up on homework while perched in a special chair. "It continuously bends your knee," he said. "You set [the interval] and it does the work. I have to get it stronger . . . I still want to play college football. I'm just not sure how it's going to work out."

In that same game, top-notch Prep linebacker Mike Labor suffered sprains at different times to both ankles. The one to the left, in the second half, was worse and could prevent him from playing Thursday morning vs. Malvern at Villanova Stadium . . . West Catholic is the only city-leagues school this decade to produce at least one 1,000-yard rusher every season: Curtis "Boonah" Brinkley (thrice); Dennis Shaw, Rob Hollomon and Raymond Maples (twice apiece); and Abdul Sesay, Chris Diaferio, Curtis Drake and Brandon Hollomon (once each). St. Joe's Prep will match the feat Thursday if Desmon Peoples gains 61 yards vs. Malvern . . . La Salle coach Drew Gordon has been a primary part of five championship teams in nine seasons (two stints): head man in 2006, '08 and '09; offensive coordinator in '95 and '96. Son Brett, now his dad's offensive coordinator, quarterbacked those '95 and '96 squads . . . In four career starts vs. SJ Prep, La Salle's Drew Loughery passed 74-for-130 for 1,182 yards and 12 TDs . . . In the City Title series' first go-round (1938-79), only once did a Public League team - Southern, in '44 and '45 - post two consecutive wins. Washington has a chance to match that feat Saturday, noon, at Northeast against the same opponent as in '08, La Salle. 6ABC will televise . . . Wood's Adkins brothers, senior Scott (12) and sophomore Kyle (3), are up to 15 career interceptions. Three La Salle Forster brothers, Rob (4, '05), Jack (10, '07) and junior Kevin (5), boast 19 . . . If it tops FitzSimons, Gratz (7-5) will tie the school record for wins. The '33 squad was 8-1-1 . . . The surname of West Catholic coach Brian Fluck has always been pronounced to rhyme with "puck." He even refers to himself that way. Innncorrect. It's actually "fluke," said Dennis Fluck, Brian's brother and chief assistant. "Brian never speaks up about it" . . . Bok, coached by Tom DeFelice, has played .804 ball (90-22) over the last 11 seasons. Wood, under Art Barrett (one season), Joe Powel (three) and Steve Devlin (three), is .803 (69-17) over the last seven . . . A win over Carroll would give Bonner (5-6) its first nonlosing season since '01 (10-2). *

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