1994 LOS ANGELES TIMES : All-Valley Softball Team : Coach of the Year : He’s Filling Up Their Trophy Case : Neils Ludlow: El Camino Real’s latest City softball title is No. 7.

If Neils Ludlow is withholding a secret to his unprecedented softball coaching success, don’t expect to find a clue on his poker face.

His El Camino Real High team (20-4) beat two-time defending champion San Pedro, 4-0, in the City Section 4-A championship game last month to win its seventh title under the tutelage of Ludlow, who took over the Conquistadore program in 1985.

“They don’t get any easier,” said Ludlow, The Times’ Valley coach of the year. “It’s not easy to win a City title just because you win one or two or three or how many we are fortunate enough to win.”

Although Ludlow has become as much a part of El Camino Real softball folklore as the state record 73-game winning streak over his first three seasons, he refuses to take credit for the Conquistadores’ success.

“I feel very fortunate to be part of this,” Ludlow said. “Sometimes in life, you’re in the right place at the right time.

“We’ve had a lot of great athletes come to school here and it’s just a matter of me being able to get the right person in the right (position). I don’t want people to think that we did this because I’m a great coach, because that’s not the case at all.”

Ludlow also coaches the boys’ basketball team at El Camino Real. Like most male softball coaches, his background is in baseball. In fact, he pitched for Brigham Young University in 1961.

But Ludlow has been a student of the game of softball since he began coaching the sport 10 years ago. And although he routinely becomes stressed out before big games, he loves every minute of it. Especially the day after a big victory.

“When the game’s over, the next day the adrenaline is flowing, so you’re so hyped-up that you could go for a day or two,” said Ludlow, explaining what he has gone through each time the Conquistadores have won a City title. “Then it’s almost like you hit the wall and you just want to crawl up in a corner somewhere for a couple of days and just literally, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually just kind of rejuvenate.”

Obviously, Ludlow does not take his job lightly. And although he takes little credit for victories, he blames himself for losses.

“The team on the field is a reflection of you,” he said. “I personally feel that way.”

Once before a City championship game against Canoga Park, Ludlow was so tense about having the right girl pinch-hitting or pinch-running in the right spot at the right time that he didn’t sleep--for three days.

Ludlow guided the Conquistadores to victory that year against Canoga Park as he had done in years past and years to come. Just as he is sure to do years from now.

But, for now, he’s is basking in the glow of his most-recent victory.

“This (City title) was especially gratifying because it had been two years since we had won it,” he said.

1st-Team All-Stars Invited to Times’ Awards Ceremony

Players selected to the All-Valley and All-Ventura County baseball and softball teams are invited to a Times’ awards brunch Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills. The guest speaker is Rich Hill, baseball coach at University of San Francisco who formerly coached at Cal Lutheran.