Triple Teamed

CHATSWORTH —  Two-way starters come in a six-pack on the Chatsworth High football team.

That makes Reggie Lee the leader of the pack. None of the other five Chancellors who draw double duty are as versatile or valuable as the senior receiver and defensive back.

Lee leads Chatsworth with 52 receptions for 917 yards, and he has scored 10 touchdowns.

Although less experienced in the secondary, he intercepted two passes in a 24-6 victory over Fremont in the City Division quarterfinals last week.

Five weeks ago, Lee was a defensive end pressuring quarterbacks instead of covering receivers.

He is one of the best kickers in the City Section, having made seven of nine field goals and 23 of 28 extra points.

About the only time he isn’t on the field is when Chatsworth punts.

“We need to get him a rest sometime,” Coach Bill Coan said.

Lee doesn’t figure to be sitting much when Chatsworth (7-5) plays Van Nuys (9-3) in a semifinal at 7 tonight at Birmingham High.

Lee will be among those counted on to slow Jermaine Lucious of Van Nuys, who has caught 35 passes, 13 for touchdowns.

“We’ve got some special defenses lined up for him because he’s a special player,” Lee said.

Not that Lee, 6 feet 3 and 200 pounds, is a cornerback expert.

Because Coan wanted fast, athletic players in the defensive front, the rangy Lee proved a good fit at defensive end.

But as the season progressed, Coan realized he had a shortage of defensive backs.

Quarterback Matt Cassel, a talented junior who hadn’t played defense, became a two-way starter at safety and Lee moved to cornerback.

“We had enough guys who could be linemen,” Coan said. “We were hurting [in the secondary]. But Reggie adapted really quickly. He had no problems adjusting.”

How important is Lee to the Chancellors? He missed the regular-season finale against El Camino Real because of a shoulder injury, and his absence contributed to the outcome.

Without a kicker, the Chancellors misfired on three two-point conversions and lost, 29-26.

Lee has demonstrated his versatility since he began playing football in high school.

Before that, he played soccer for nine years. In his freshman season, Lee tried a few kicks before football practice and the coaches noticed.

“I was just fooling around,” Lee said. “Next thing I know, they’re asking me to kick.”

Lee made the varsity as a sophomore, but he didn’t do much--one carry for no gain and an interception. But last year he became a vital component of the Chancellor offense.

Playing wide receiver and running back, Lee was second on the team with 27 receptions, scored three rushing touchdowns and kicked five field goals.

But he still wasn’t a complete player.

“I didn’t play much defense,” Lee said.

Now his attention is torn from one area to another. In practice and pregame drills, Lee moves quickly between offensive and defensive assignments. He acknowledges his kicking suffers because he is needed elsewhere.

“If I had the time, I could get even better,” said Lee, whose field-goal range is 40 yards. “It’s just like anything else. If I practice more, I get better.”

Lee rarely leaves the field despite battling childhood asthma. He says the condition is improving, but he still uses an inhaler before every game as a precaution.

“He used to have these major attacks,” said Lynn Lee, Reggie’s mother. “He would be in the hospital for days.”

It appeared Lee would get a break for the playoffs when Chatsworth added soccer player Tom Colley to the varsity to handle kickoffs. But Lee was simply moved to another position on the kickoff team.

After all, he’s too valuable to rest.