CITY SECTION BASKETBALL PREVIEWS : WEST VALLEY LEAGUE : Steele to Help El Camino Real Test Its Mettle

Lanky center Jason Steele is the reigning king of the may-your-molars-melt, death-from-above slam dunk at El Camino Real High. Of course, being a shade under 6 feet, 7 inches tall helps, but Steele reportedly lives above the iron.

“The guy can jump out of the gym--he could be the best leaper in the whole City (Section),” said assistant coach Jeff Davis, who teaches journalism at the school and knows a cliche when he spits one out. “He can do them all. The double-pumps, the 180s, all of them.”

Ah, the 180. Steele might be able to handle the one-handed turnaround slam, but the real question at hand for the Conquistadores is whether the team will make a 180-degree turn from being a .250 team to one that will challenge for the City Section 3-A Division title.

Last season, as a member of the 7-team Valley League, which featured such City 4-A powers as Fairfax and Cleveland, El Camino Real finished fifth at 5-15, 3-9 in league play. When the City releagued last spring, El Camino Real was given a demotion of sorts and placed in the West Valley League as part of the 3-A Division.

It was hardly viewed as bad news.

For Davis, a one-time sports writer and the team’s self-appointed publicity director, it meant Instant Respectability. Better living through legislation.

“We’re real interested to see how we’ll do as part of the 3-A,” he said. “I think we would have done very, very well in the 3-A last year.”

El Camino Real is not only a contender in Davis’ eyes but in the eyes of many. The Conquistadores are ranked ninth in the City by The Times--a poll that includes 4-A teams--and every coach in the league agrees that El Camino Real is the team to beat.

Beyond the league? With its redefined horizons, El Camino Real could win a City title. Given certain qualifications.

Steele, who possesses perhaps the rawest front-line talent in the league, must play to his capabilities. Steele’s family nearly moved to Fresno over the summer but decided to remain in L. A. Even though at 6-6 1/2 Steele towers over all but one player in the league, Davis said he has to learn that plucking rebounds is tougher than picking raisins.

“He’s our most improved player,” Davis said. “But he could be our most pivotal guy. He has to average in double figures in points and rebounds. No doubt about it.”

The team received a booster shot over the summer when Bertram Mitchell, who played on the junior varsity last season at Dorsey, transferred to El Camino Real. Mitchell, a 6-4, 205-pound junior, is a probable starter and a key addition to the front line, which already includes All-City forward Brent Lofton.

“Mitchell has to keep the pressure off Brent,” Davis said.

Lofton, a 6-5 forward who signed a letter of intent last month with Utah State, averaged 21.6 points and 11.7 rebounds a game, both team highs. Only Chris Mills of Fairfax--a prep All-American who now plays at Kentucky--scored more points in league play. Lofton shot a school-record 57% from the field.

At guard, El Camino Real has Jason Farrell (5-10), a part-time starter last year, and point guard Russell Reid (5-8), a left-handed defensive specialist.

Chatsworth and San Fernando may be locked in a battle of attrition for second place. Chatsworth has only one returning player, guard Rick Garrick, and San Fernando lost two players who were named to The Times’ All-Valley team.

El Camino Real

COACH: Mike McNulty, seventh season

LAST SEASON: 5-15 overall; fifth in league at 3-9

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Brent Lofton (6-5) was the first junior All-City player in school history after averaging 21.6 points a game and leading the team in rebounding. After a look at the Conquistadores’ overall record, it is obvious that Lofton needs some help. He may get it. Center Jason Steele (6-6 1/2) has “improved dramatically” from last season, assistant coach Jeff Davis said, but needs to prove that he can be consistent. Similar to Cleveland, El Camino Real has received an infusion of talent from recent transfers. Junior Bertram Mitchell (6-4), a transfer from Dorsey, will make an immediate impact as a starter or sixth man. Charles Crow (6-2), who transferred from Crespi a year ago, was the MVP of the JV team last season. Russell Reid, a 5-8 point guard, and Jason Farrell (5-10) probably will start in the backcourt.

OUTLOOK: El Camino Real is the class of the league, and the Conquistadores may even have enough talent to steal a few games from the 4-A side of the conference, the North Valley. The Conquistadores, however, must find balance to take the heat off Lofton, who was a one-man gang last year.

San Fernando

COACH: Dick Crowell, eighth season

LAST SEASON: 15-5 overall; first in Northwest Valley at 9-1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: They led the team in scoring and finished dead last in hair. Bald-headed Joe Mauldin and Tory Stephens have graduated, taking an average of 45.3 points a game with them. Crowell must find some scoring punch, and junior Lance Whitaker (6-7, 230) may have to provide much of it. Whitaker, the tallest player in the league, averaged 8.4 points and 7 rebounds last season, but filling in for Mauldin and Stephens won’t be easy. Whitaker won’t be helped by the loss of 6-4 junior forward Russell Baldwin, who was declared academically ineligible and is probably gone for the season, Crowell said. “He was our best player in all the off-season leagues,” Crowell said. Angel Sotelo, a 6-4 senior, will have to provide assistance for Whitaker in the frontcourt. Howard McCrary, a record-setting safety on the football team, also will be an impact player, Crowell said. San Fernando, for the first time in years, won’t be a running team. “We’re more of a half-court team now--we just don’t have much team speed,” Crowell said. Marco Renteria and Steve Leos will see time at guard.

OUTLOOK: San Fernando’s immediate future will be affected by how well the football team does. Returning players Sean Williams (receiver) and Michael Wynn (quarterback) connected for dozens of completions for the Tigers, but the season has not ended. If the pair are as lucky on hardwood after making the transition, San Fernando might challenge El Camino Real. Ditto McCrary. Another key is Whitaker, who had knee surgery in the off-season. He gives the Tigers height, but he must also provide more scoring.

Chatsworth

COACH: Gary Shair, 24th season

LAST SEASON: 11-10 overall; fourth in Northwest Valley at 5-5

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior guard Rick Garrick, who averaged 13.9 points a game last season, is the only returning letterman for the Chancellors. That means new faces, which in Chatsworth’s case, isn’t necessarily bad. “We’re all new and very inexperienced, but we’re getting along great,” Shair said. “I’m very optimistic.” Chatsworth will need to play as a cohesive unit--there would not appear to be anyone capable of carrying the team. Sam Kim, a smart ballhandler at the JV level last season, probably will start at point guard. Emad Whitney, a 6-3 forward who has not played before at the high school level, is also a solid prospect, Shair said. Cornelius Edwards, a 6-3 senior who did not play last season, will star at center. The bad news? “We have no real concept of how to play defense,” Shair said. “We have to get more organized on D to be consistent.” Chatsworth will run more this season. “I think I’ll let them have a little more rope that I usually do,” Shair said, “We’ve been able to run pretty effectively.”

OUTLOOK: The team is blending surprisingly well, considering its inexperience. And it is the lack of veteran leadership that has prompted Shair to make changes this season. Shair says the philosophy is basic: “I’m trying to keep it simple,” he said. “I’m just trying to let them play, and they’ve been playing extremely well together.”

Canoga Park

COACH: Joey Nakasone, eighth season

LAST SEASON: 3-18 overall, sixth in Northwest Valley at 2-8

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Hunters will be hard-pressed to match last season’s win total. Their best player, 6-6 junior Brandon Battle, transferred to Cleveland and there is virtually no height in the lineup. One thing about the returning players--they are uniform in size: The cast--seniors Sean Reyes (6-1), Eddie Bowling (6-1), David Gross (6-1) and Mario Rodriguez (6-0). Among new additions are 2 players who could make any preseason all-name team, Erick Welcome (5-2) and Damon Sweatt (5-10). Raffi Potourian, a 5-2 senior, also will play at guard--sometimes alongside Welcome. You’ve heard of Spud Webb? These guys are the Tater Tots. It will take considerable amounts of Sweatt and anything else Canoga Park can muster to be competitive.

OUTLOOK: Last year, Canoga Park struggled against 3-A Division opponents. Competing in a conference that requires 4 games against 4-A Division schools will only make things tougher. Improvement by year’s end may be a realistic goal.