Chatsworth Finds Security in Cassel

Pitching coach Matt LaCour huddled on the mound in the sixth inning Thursday with freshman reliever Justin Cassel.

Chatsworth High was clinging to a three-run lead against rival El Camino Real. The bases were loaded and many in the overflow crowd sensed the game’s decisive moment had arrived.

“Look at all these people,” Cassel told LaCour. “This is going to be fun.”

Displaying poise and confidence beyond his years, Cassel got Christian Hariot to hit into a double play to end the inning, then retired all three El Camino Real batters in the seventh to save the Chancellors’ 7-4 victory.

The victory gives Chatsworth (19-1-1, 10-0 in league) a two-game West Valley League lead over El Camino Real (15-6, 8-2) with five to play.

In simple terms, the league race is over.

But Coach Tom Meusborn of Chatsworth wasn’t about to let his team feel like a conqueror. The Chancellors still have a May 16 game against El Camino Real and haven’t forgotten 1998, when they defeated the Conquistadores three times in the regular season, only to lose to them in the City final at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s a nice win, but it’s one game,” Meusborn said. “We’ve been in this situation before, so we keep things in perspective. We feel we’re going to see them at playoff time.”

No doubt, Chatsworth proved it’s the better team now. The Chancellors are on a 14-game winning streak and could replace Westlake as the region’s No. 1 team.

In two games against El Camino Real, No. 9 hitter Nick Huston had four hits and five runs batted in. His two-run single during a four-run fifth helped wipe out a 4-3 deficit. Huston came in with the team’s lowest batting average among starters at .304.

“We’ve got so many guys on this team who can play, it’s hard to get in,” Huston said. “I got a shot and took advantage.”

Sophomore Jared Halpert had a home run and run-scoring single. Matt Fisher and Ryan Barba each had two hits.

El Camino Real received a two-run home run from Jason Kort and two RBIs from Polo Gomez, but its pitching was erratic and two runners were picked off. One of the Conquistadores’ most dangerous hitters, Sean McElroy, went 0 for 7 in the series.

It was no surprise that Cassel came through in dramatic fashion after replacing starter Sean Richards (7-1). He’s only 15, but he has been trained to handle pressure situations from watching his older brothers, Jack and Matt. Jack pitches for Pierce College and Matt will be a quarterback at USC.

“Growing up in that Cassel household, he’s been ready to go,” LaCour said. “Matt and Jack have been beating him up through the years and taught him what it’s all about.”

In addition, cameras have been following Justin around since school started in September as part of an HBO documentary to be shown in 2001 about a year in the life of high school freshmen.

“My juices were flowing because it was such a big game,” Cassel said.

Said Huston: “He’s no freshman. He’s got more facial hair than all of us.”

The HBO camera was filming when Cassel got the final out. What a perfect ending for television.