Reseda Comes Full Circle

The first meeting three months ago in the opener came down to Reseda High’s inability to stop Chatsworth’s passing game.

Now, as the teams prepare for a rematch in the City Division final tonight at 5 at the Coliseum, the question remains:

Can Reseda contain Chatsworth quarterback Matt Cassel?

The streaking Regents (9-4) believe they can, pointing to their steady improvement on defense since the first game.

“The first time we played them, we weren’t ready for their run-and-shoot [offense],” said Joseph Looney, Reseda’s All-Valley Pac-8 Conference inside linebacker. “We are a lot better now.”.

But Chatsworth (8-5) offers a simple rebuttal.

“They’re a lot more disciplined and more experienced since we played them, but so are we,” Cassel said. “It’s going to be a lot different game.”

Reseda certainly hopes so.

Chatsworth defeated the Regents, 35-13, on Sept. 11, scoring 21 consecutive points in the third quarter to build on a 14-7 halftime lead.

The Chancellors finished with 370 yards, including Cassel’s 276 yards passing, to counter Reseda’s 292 yards rushing and 345 total yards.

At the time, Reseda’s secondary was much different, and much weaker. Coach Joel Schaeffer revamped it with safety Erik Ceja and cornerbacks Gerard Jones and Danny Sandoval.

“We searched a little bit before we found the right combo,” Schaeffer said. “Ceja played marginally [against Chatsworth] and Sandoval had not shown himself yet. Jones has improved tremendously since then.”

Ceja, a senior who also plays tight end, has 57 tackles and nine interceptions. Jones, a junior, has five interceptions.

The linebackers, including mainstays Looney and Skyler McKnight, offer strong support to an undersized but hard-nosed line.

“We have a corps of senior linebackers and that always helps,” Schaeffer said. “They understand the value of defense. . . . The line is a bunch of unsung heroes.”

Since losing to Sylmar, 42-0, in a conference game on Nov. 6, the Regents have buckled down.

They defeated Poly, 56-8, to conclude conference play, stopped a late two-point conversion attempt in a 21-19 victory over Narbonne in a first-round playoff game, and crushed L.A. Jordan, 44-6, the following week.

Last week, the Regents beat Manual Arts, 7-0, and held quarterback Marco Acietuno to 56 yards passing, with Jones making three interceptions. Acietuno entered the game with 28 touchdown passes.

Each of the last four touchdowns yielded by Reseda came on plays of 30 or more yards, two on passes and two on runs. Jordan’s only scoring came in the fourth quarter against Reseda’s backups.

“It’s a style of ball you’ll see [at Los Angeles schools],” Schaeffer said. “They’ll shoot for that long touchdown and if you pass 20 or 30 times a game, you’ll hook up sooner or later.

“We swatted down five or six [long passes] in the Manual Arts game.”

The Regents, seeded No. 12, might have to do the same against Cassel if they expect to beat the Chancellors, seeded No. 7.

Cassel, a junior, has passed for 2,647 yards and 23 touchdowns. Although he passed for only 97 yards in Chatsworth’s 34-7 victory over Van Nuys last week, Cassel passed for 200 or more yards in eight games this season.

His primary target is Reggie Lee, who has 56 receptions for 997 yards and 11 touchdowns, but the Chancellors feature three other receivers with 20 or more catches.

Cassel, who has nearly 400 yards rushing, provides the Chancellors with an extra dimension. Against Van Nuys, he repeatedly rolled out to escape inside pressure from blitzing linebackers and either dumped the ball to a receiver or took off running, finishing with 44 yards in 12 carries.

“We’ll see what [the Regents] stop,” Coach Bill Coan of Chatsworth said. “They still have to contain our quarterback, who is pretty good.”

Looney, Reseda’s top running back with 1,165 yards and 11 touchdowns, believes the Regents are prepared for Cassel.

“If he rolls out, we’re going to be there,” Looney said.