Groton - John Moody was in full Eastern Connecticut Conference championship mohawk Saturday afternoon, a red stripe painted from front to back across his head.

Moody wore red and white swimming trunks, a temporary tattoo of a Falcon decorating his right arm.

That's how much of a team player Moody is.

Moody, who represented the Fitch/Stonington high school cooperative swim team at the ECC championship at UConn Avery Point and won three titles, is actually a student at Stonington.

"He comes to every morning practice," said longtime Fitch coach Ken Berg, who occasionally holds optional practices before school. "And he has to drive farther than everyone else.

"He's receptive. He's a strong kid. He works hard. ... I put the pressure on him today. I told him, 'You're the captain in spirit for the Stonington group and you're the first one in the pool for us today.' But I don't think he feels pressure."

Moody, who swam with the Ledyard/Stonington co-op before this year, had to find a new place to swim when Ledyard dropped its program (Ledyard swimmers now compete in a co-op with Norwich Free Academy).

The junior was worried, briefly, but embraced his new surroundings quickly.

The Falcons were 10-0 in the ECC to win the league's regular-season title.

On Saturday, Moody won the 100-yard backstroke in 57.65 seconds and swam legs on the Falcons' winning 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. Fitch finished second in the team standings to East Lyme.

"It's been great. It's been a really good experience," Moody said. "(Berg) demands a lot of stuff, but nothing he doesn't think we're capable of. I was a little nervous because I really liked the kids on Ledyard and (Berg) has a different philosophy. But it worked out."

"Student-athletes like John Moody are the reason athletic directors and school administration fight for the survival of teams and the continuation of all sports," Stonington athletic director Bryan Morrone said. "John represents himself to the highest of levels, socially, academically and in the pool. I couldn't be prouder."

v.fulkerson@theday.com

Twitter: @vickieattheday