DeSantis’ Cool Hand Ices Chatsworth Win

Chatsworth High’s Dominic DeSantis beat El Camino Real with the ball in one hand and his coach in the other.

Chatsworth Coach Gary Shair was arguing with an official who had added a second to the clock--from 1 to 2 to play--with Chatsworth ahead by a point. DeSantis left the free-throw line, wrapped his arms around Shair and led him to the bench. The 6-foot forward, who was fouled to stop the clock, said that he wanted to ice the game.

Shair sat down and DeSantis sank both shots and El Camino Real, 60-57.

“He had to calm coach down,” center Cornelius Edwards said of the coach. “He was about to get a technical and we were only winning by one.”

Ten seconds remained when El Camino Real guard Russell Reid raced downcourt attempting to get the ball to Charles Crow on the wing, but he threw the ball out of bounds. That mistake, although the most untimely, was not the first for El Camino Real in the last quarter.

With Chatsworth (10-7 overall, 2-0 in West Valley League play) leading, 56-54, and fewer than 2 minutes left, Jason Farrell tried to break the Chatsworth fullcourt press and looped a pass upcourt that was intercepted. The Chancellors called time out.

And what happened at the end of that timeout profited Chatsworth more than any strategy discussed during it could have. The Chancellors came back on the court and began play while El Camino Real was still shuffling out of its huddle. Rick Garrick scored an uncontested layup to extend the lead to 58-54.

“We had a 100 mistakes in those last two minutes, “ El Camino Real Coach Mike McNulty said.