Being able to play one is quite another, and Jim DiLisio is skilled at both, thank you.

To the third power, even.

In baseball for Father Judge High, which is still in the fight for a Catholic Red playoff spot, he starts in centerfield or rightfield, depending on that day's starting pitcher, and bats fifth in the lineup.

In basketball, he rotated between starter and sixth man (and wound up fourth in scoring) for a Crusaders' squad that advanced to a preplayoff.

Ah, but football is his focus sport. It's the activity in which he has earned the most acclaim (first-team Daily News All-City honors for a semifinalist), what he will play next fall at Bloomsburg, and the one he has been enjoying almost since his run-around-indiapers stage.

Seems like it, anyway.

"I live in Holmesburg and was going to start football there," DiLisio said. "But I was only 4 years old and they said I had to be 5. My dad took me over to the Mayfair A.C. and they said I could play there.

"Yeah, I played football at 4 years old. I have pictures."

In some of them, DiLisio is probably growling.

Some guys barely utter a peep through entire seasons. Even careers. Doesn't make them bad people. It just makes them the opposite of Jim DiLisio. He likes to chirp, to encourage and counsel his playmates, and his enthusiasm becomes infectious.

The varied grid/leadership skills of the 6-2, 195-pound linebacker will be displayed one last time at the high school level on Saturday night, 7 o'clock, at Northeast High, as Non-Public meets Public in the 34th annual Daily News-Eagles City All-Star Game.

N-P leads the series, 17-15-1, though 2007 did not produce a win.

DiLisio was in attendance. In the doldrums, too, eventually.

"I just remember thinking, 'Boy, I wish I could be in this game,' " DiLisio said. "It was exciting to see all the Judge guys playing. But then it wasn't too cool to see them get knocked off in overtime. I wanted the team to come back this year and get a win; not even thinking then that I could wind up playing in it. My favorite sport has always been the one that's coming around. People said I could get a scholarship in football, though, so I listened and went with it.

"I saw the game the year before, too, so it's really special now. First I got All-City, which stunned me, and now this."

DiLisio is one of four Judge students on the N-P roster, joining rusher Andrew McHale, center Anthony Marascio and defensive tackle Dan Keenan. He's also rubbing elbows with future Bloomsburgers (Bloomsburgians?) Sean Clift, a linebacker from Roman Catholic; Nick Ferdinand, a wideout from Archbishop Ryan; and Terrell "The Sane T.O." Oglesby, a defensive back from North Catholic.

DiLisio is also learning the annual all-star lesson: Kids from other schools are actually human beings.

"I've made friends with guys I never thought I would talk to," he said, laughing.

At Bloomsburg, DiLisio figures he will major in business, with a lean to accounting, and perhaps try baseball as a sophomore, assuming all goes well during his freshman year.

These are busy times, of course. DiLisio is flopping between baseball games/practices for Judge and all-star football workouts. He also hits the weights each night for up to 75 minutes.

Um, homework?

"I have study hall second period," he said. "I try to do most of it then. I also have art eighth period. The teacher lets me do some in there, too."

Though some quality players with scholarships in hand decided not to participate, DiLisio said Bloomsburg's staff is thrilled and that assistant Paul Darragh will be in attendance.

Chances are he will bump into members of the Jim DiLisio Fan Club.

Jim said his mother, Patricia, has sold 20 tickets so far. Three have gone to his dad, also named Jim, and brothers, Kevin and Paul Creedon.

"They're my biggest fans," Jim gushed. "Between my dad and brothers, I don't think they've missed a game. I'll look around in the stands, thinking maybe they couldn't make it, but they always do. 'There they are.' "

Jim Sr. played at Abraham Lincoln High, then was something of a semi-pro stalwart at running back after serving in the Army.

"People say I get a lot of my [feisty] qualities from my dad," Jim said. "I've always acted like this. I don't like to lose in anything I do. A lot of people call me a sore loser."

Pause. "I don't know who would like to lose. It's not me." *