CHEER SQUAD SAVED AT LAST CHATSWORTH HIGH ADVISER STEPS UP.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

CHATSWORTH - The cheers are back at Chatsworth High School!

Three months after the school's cheerleaders lost their adviser and the Chancellors nearly became the only football team lacking full rah-rah support, a teacher has volunteered to rescue the squad.

Mari Hobson, a 9th-grade English teacher, raised her hand to sponsor the team just in time to send 24 cheerleaders to training camp in Santa Barbara this week prior to their first season game Sept. 7.

``We didn't have a lot of teachers who stepped up for the job,'' said Hobson, a two-year teacher at Chatsworth. ``I live in Chatsworth, I love Chatsworth, I couldn't see us not having a team.''

Neither could other Chancellors.

For as long as anyone can remember, a gaggle of orange-and-blue cheerleaders had rallied the fans through victory and defeat each Friday night during the football season.

Last fall, their raucous cheers helped rocket the Chancellors football team to the city invitational quarterfinals.

But when the cheerleader adviser quit last spring with no other teachers to fill the breach, panic ensued. Administrators, barred under a new union contract from allowing teachers with emergency credentials to sponsor outside activities such as cheerleading, warned the end was near.

``We're optimistic and excited about the fact that our team has been re-established,'' Chatsworth Athletic Director ``Fluke'' Fluker said. ``I think they're going to be a great squad this year.''

Cheerleaders and students are also thrilled.

``I'm so excited, I'm so glad we have everybody together,'' said Raychel Espiritu, 17, co-captain of Chancellor's varsity cheerleaders. ``We worked so hard to get this far ... everybody has such amazing talent.''

``It's a good thing they came back,'' added Chatsworth senior Brian Pepe, 17, of Northridge. ``They give a rush to the football players, they make the team want to win, they make the crowd cheer louder.''

Football without cheerleaders - is it possible?

``Heck, no,'' said Chatsworth senior Theodore Spears, 19, of Northridge. ``You can't have a football game without cheerleaders. They bring a lot of spirit to the game.''

Fluker and Chatsworth dean and assistant coach Ron Martinez predicted that the Chancellors, under Coach Bill Coan, will play even better this season. Eight starters return from last year, including quarterback Jason Moss, who as a sophomore threw for 1,600 yards.

But Hobson, as head cheerleader, may have her hands full rallying her squad.

Last week, according to students, Hobson barred her team from practice prior to cheerleading camp, reportedly after a fight nearly ensued between cheerleading captain Cacharel Williams and a cheerleading mom.

Allegations of threats during an unsupervised Mason Park practice provoked two conflicting complaints to police Aug. 22.

One cheerleader, who students say was accused of not keeping up during a dance segment after missing practice this summer in order to earn $950 for uniforms, vowed to not return to school for fear of her safety.

``I'm done with the Los Angeles Unified School District - I'm toast,'' said Kip Amaral, the Chatsworth cheerleading mom and second party in the dispute.

The incident followed allegations by parents and former cheerleaders of favoritism, racial prejudice and cliquish maltreatment between cheerleaders last year that prompted four girls to leave the team.

``I quit the team around February because there was way too much drama with the team,'' said Marita Cochard, 18, a three-year Chatsworth varsity cheerleader now at California State University, Northridge.

``The squad was falling apart. It was more or less a racial issue.''

Other cheerleaders, however, downplayed the strife.

``This never really happened before,'' said varsity cheerleader Jessica Woods, 17, who witnessed the Mason Park dispute. ``It was a little problem.''

Whatever the case, many are grateful that Hobson moved up to the gridiron to enable some half-time cheer.

``That's cool they have that English teacher; that's really nice she stepped up to do that,'' said Anthony Venice, 17, of Northridge. ```Cause it was messed up that other teacher left.''