Banking On Cannon Lifts Chatsworth

If Mark Cannon were playing H-O-R-S-E, his three-point shot that banked in from the right wing Wednesday with 1:40 left against Kennedy would have been ruled illegal.

“I didn’t call anything,” he said. “I’ll make sure I do it next time.”

Cannon’s accidental three-pointer gave Chatsworth High the lead for good and helped the Chancellors hold off Kennedy, 59-56, in a battle of unbeaten West Valley League teams.

“Since it went in, it was beautiful,” Coach Fluke Fluker of Chatsworth said. “If he was on the other team, I would have called it ugly.”

Chatsworth (13-3, 5-0 in league play), ranked No. 5 in The Times’ regional poll, was pushed to the limit by a Kennedy team that had no business staying close after 6-foot-6 Nana Gbewonyo fouled out with 7:34 left.

Gbewonyo, averaging 23 points per game, had 21 points when he picked up his fourth and fifth fouls within a 10-second stretch at the outset of the fourth quarter.

But the Cougars (12-6, 4-1) didn’t fold. They opened their biggest lead, 52-45, on a three-pointer by Mike Burns with more than six minutes left. Then Chatsworth launched its comeback.

Using a 1-3-1 half-court press, the Chancellors scored nine consecutive points for a 54-52 lead with 4:25 left on Bobby Bowlin’s layup.

Kennedy regained the lead, 56-54, on Dax Grooms’ basket with 2:00 left. Then came Cannon’s three-pointer and his driving layup with 38 seconds left. Kennedy couldn’t score again.

“We’ve got a lot of respect for Kennedy,” Fluker said. “Nana is a great player, but they have a team. They were executing and hustling.”

The game was tied five times in the second half after a 28-28 halftime deadlock.

Each team struggled at times against full-court presses.

“That was the battle,” Fluker said. “Whomever was going to handle the press and be aggressive enough and intelligent enough to get through [would win].”

Cannon finished with 20 points, including four three-pointers. Richard Harrison, a 6-6 senior, played despite the flu and contributed 16 rebounds but made only two of 12 shots.

This was the first real test in several weeks for both schools after they were a combined 8-0 against North Valley League competition.

Chatsworth and Cleveland are the favorites in the West Valley race, but Coach Tim Guy of Kennedy said his team shouldn’t be overlooked.

“We’re a talented team,” Guy said. “We can play with anyone.”

Cannon, though, came through with his bank shot when Chatsworth needed it most.

Call it a Hail Cannon.

“Luck must have been on my side,” he said.