BEAL FIT TO LEAD; AVC GUARD KEEPS TEAM WINNING.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

The first time Newton Chelette uttered his name, the Antelope Valley College basketball coach butchered it.

It was an honest mistake. Two years ago, a Victor Valley High School senior had called the Chelette house and left a message with Chelette's 11-year-old daughter Kelly.

``The message said please call Trevor Veal,'' Chelette said. ``So when I called and asked for a Trevor Veal, his mom said `There's no Trevor Veal here. There is a Trevor Beal.' ''

These days, sophomore point guard Trevor Beal is not only a household name at Marauder Gym but the most critical part in Chelette's high octane engine.

It's not much different than last season. With a healthy Beal, the Marauders were a heavyweight at 29-2. With Beal either out of commission or hobbling around the court on one good leg, AVC was a featherweight 1-3.

``You can use any cliche you want. He stirs the drink. He makes us go,'' Chelette said of Beal, a Division I prospect.

When Beal - who unseated sophomore incumbent point guard Michael Hamelin a year ago (Hamelin excelled as AVC's off guard) - sprained a left ankle making a rebound against Long Beach City last year, the Marauders weren't the same team.

``It was hard without him. He was our leader,'' said sophomore guard John Burrell. ``I think he's the best point guard in the state.''

While Chelette has tabbed the sweet-shooting Burrell as the best kept secret in California JC basketball, the University of Nevada recruit prefers to pass the title to Beal.

``I could always play the 1 or 2, but the point has been my best position,'' Beal said. ``I call myself a scoring point guard.''

As a freshman at Victor Valley, Beal scored and scored and scored again. He put up 30 points a game and earned a spot on the Jackrabbits' varsity team as a sophomore where he ran the point his final three seasons and capped off his prep career by reaching the Southern Section Division I championship game and falling in a first-round State playoff game to mighty Mater Dei.

Beal found several similarities between his final year at Victor Valley and his freshman season at AVC, when the Marauders rose all the way to a No. 1 ranking in California before losing in the State quarterfinals to Diablo Valley.

``It was kind of like deja vu considering how far we went both years,'' Beal said.

Speaking of deja vu, the Marauders are headed for another Chelette-type successful season, and Beal again is the catalyst who will decide how far AVC propels itself. Just himself and Burrell played on last year's team.

``Last year we had a lot of sophomores and it was a more mature team,'' Beal said. ``With so many freshmen (eight in all), the guys have to be willing to accept each other.''

That concept has always been easy for Burrell and Beal, who played against each other in high school when Burrell was a star at Highland and now complement each other.

``He's big time,'' Burrell said of Beal. ``He's always kept my head up. At the Santa Monica Tournament (to begin this season) I was sick and I couldn't get any shots to drop. He would keep coming up to me and pat me on the arm and say, `Hey, just keep shooting.' Some point guards might get mad and say to stop shooting. . . . Trev can score too. Teams can't just try to stop that Burrell guy. Beal's there too.''

Beal could possibly be at Burrell's side again in Reno. A Nevada assistant coach was in town to see Burrell recently and left with quite an impression on AVC's floor leader.

``He already got John and he told me they need a point guard,'' Beal said of the Wolf Pack. ``I think it would be pretty neat to play with him again.''

Chelette figures a Division I school would be crazy not to find a scholarship for Beal, who ranks at the top of Chelette's distinguished list of AVC point guards, which includes Division I players Dedan Thomas (UNLV) and Danny Prince (UC Santa Barbara).

``All those guys had special talents. Thomas was a great passer and penetrator. Prince was the best 3-point shooter at any level in college basketball when he was here. Trevor's good at all of that. He does everything,'' Chelette said.

``When he's running the show I'm not worried about the ball. Because he can handle it on offense and he defends it on defense.''

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PHOTO Antelope Valley College's Trevor Beal keeps the Marauders running strong.

Jeff Goldwater / Daily News