CHATTER: MOUSTAKAS NAMED CAL-HI'S MR. BASEBALL.

Recent Chatsworth High graduate Mike Moustakas was selected as Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, becoming the 12th area player in the 109-year history of the award to be honored.

Moustakas, who set state single-season (24) and career (52) records for home runs, was the first local player to be recognized since former Tampa Bay Devil Rays No. 1 draft pick Delmon Young of Camarillo was selected in 2002. Moustakas was picked No. 2 by the Kansas City Royals in this year's First-Year Player Draft.

After being selected as state sophomore and junior of the year, Moustakas hit .577 with 59RBIs and a 1.494 slugging percentage to lead the Chancellors to their first City Section title since 2004.

Moustakas finished his career with 178 hits, 172 runs and 176RBIs.

Moustakas joined an impressive group of former City standouts in receiving the award, including Kennedy of Granada Hills' Jon Garland (1997), Cleveland of Reseda's Bret Saberhagen (1982), Granada Hills' John Elway (1979), Taft of Woodland Hills' Robin Yount (1973) and Van Nuys' Don Drysdale (1954).

Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks' Mike Stanton, a second-round draft choice by the Florida Marlins, was selected as state medium schools player of the year. Stanton hit .393 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs.

-- Erik Boal

Chevalier to coach Oaks Christian girls

Andre Chevalier, the former Cleveland High of Reseda boys' basketball coach who played a key role in Nick Young's success, is returning to coaching for Oaks Christian girls' basketball.

Chevalier is one of the main characters in "Second Chance Season," the documentary on Young that premiered Friday at the L.A. Film Festival. He helped the previously troubled Young, who is expected to be a first-round pick in the NBA draft Thursday, make it to USC.

In 2005, a year after Young left, Chevalier stepped down as coach at Cleveland but remained as a dean. In addition to his coaching duties, he will be the dean of students at Oaks Christian.

"This is one of the only programs that could pull me back into coaching because I feel we can build a dynasty here," Chevalier said. "All the mechanisms are in place. I think, in the next two years or so, we'll begin to compete for some championships."

-- Matthew Kredell

Chaminade swimmer qualifies for '08 trials

Chaminade of West Hills sophomore swimmer Meghan Hawthorne qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., by clocking 2 minutes, 20.32 seconds in the 200-meter individual medley at the June Age Group Invitational at the Ventura Community Park Aquatics Center.

Hawthorne, who competes for Porter Valley Aquatics, also won the 200 freestyle (2:05.82).

-- Erik Boal

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