HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Chatsworth’s leading rusher is quarterback Matt Cassel, although the correct term might be wild-eyed scrambler.

Cassel, a 6-foot-4, 206-pound senior, will attend USC provided he lives through this season. He has been sacked 14 times and has 50 carries--nearly twice as many as any Chancellor running backs.

Most are improvised dashes after being chased from the pocket. To Cassel’s credit, he has gained 177 yards and scored five touchdowns.

Chatsworth’s 28-12 loss to Valencia on Friday was typical of his season. He had 17 carries for 37 yards, but the total included seven sacks for minus-37 yards. On 10 runs beyond the line of scrimmage, he gained 74 yards.

Often he was on the run as he caught snaps from the shotgun formation.

“Yeah, I was running a bit,” Cassel said. “It’s never fun to lose, but I broke a few tackles.”

When he has time to throw, good things often happen. Cassel has completed 55 of 95 passes for 806 yards and eight touchdowns.