Cassel Is Baseball Player of the Year

Justin Cassel, who went 15-0 in leading Chatsworth to the City Section title, has been selected City player of the year by a panel of Los Angeles sportswriters.

The senior right-hander went 3-0 and earned a save in the playoffs for Chatsworth (33-1), which was No. 1 in one national ranking. Outfielders Jason Dominguez and Keith Renno and catcher Jordan Sisson of Chatsworth were selected to the first team along with Cassel. City runner-up Carson had pitcher Luis Magadan and catcher Felipe Aguilar named to the first team.

Meridith McColl of Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley and Barry Fischer of Moraga Campolindo have been selected by the California Scholastic Federation as scholar-athletes of the year for excelling in the classroom and in athletics and for their contributions to their schools and communities.

McColl, who will attend Stanford in the fall, competed in water polo, swimming and volleyball for the Cougars.

Senior Jon Cresante defended his boys’ individual foil title and led West Hills Chaminade to its sixth consecutive boys’ team foil title at the California All-State Invitational high school fencing tournament at San Francisco McAteer High. Sophomore Cameron Smith finished third in boys’ individual foil.

The girls’ foil team from Chaminade finished second.

The football series between Beverly Hills and Culver City, which began in 1954, will not be renewed in 2003 because of the Pioneer League’s expansion, Culver City Coach Tom Salter said.

The schools were scheduled to meet Oct. 10, the season’s fifth week. However, Palos Verdes’ resumption of varsity play has caused the Pioneer League, which includes Culver City, to grow to seven teams. With Pioneer League play beginning in the season’s fourth week and both Culver City and Beverly Hills already having commitments for the season’s first three weeks, a game between the teams was not possible in 2003.

Beverly Hills has replaced Culver City on its schedule with Santa Monica, Norman Coach Carter Paysinger said.

“I’m sure we’ll be playing again in the future,” Salter said.

Culver City ended a seven-game losing streak to Beverly Hills in 2002 with a 30-26 victory.

Steven Herbert

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Jerry Person of Walnut and Jimmy Nolan of Montebello Cantwell Sacred Heart have been selected to coach the East and West teams, respectively, in the Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley chapter’s 24th National Football Foundation Hall of Fame game July 11 at El Monte Arroyo.

The 2003 eight-man All-Star football game will be played at 5 p.m. on June 28 at Excelsior Adult School, 15711 Pioneer Blvd., Norwalk.

Riverside Christian’s Dave DeWoody will coach the East team and Avalon’s Earl Schrader will coach the West.

The game, sponsored by the Small Schools Football Coaches Assn., benefits Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for students with school ID and children ages 3-12.

The all-star banquet, open to the public, will be held at 6 p.m. June 26 at Mountain Meadows Country Club in Pomona. Tickets are $28. Information: (818) 591-6264.