CHS football had a successful season this year, with varsity winning more games than they have in almost a decade. While CHS football has had little success in the past, there was certainly a change for the better as the team has made a comeback. So far the team has beat Rancho High School, Burroughs High School, Van Nuys High School, Agoura High School and Oak Park High School, and has won their first playoff game against Buena High School on Nov. 14. Under new coach Casey Clausen, the team already surpassed the total number of wins from the past two years.

“The success so far is a reflection of the hard work we’ve put in,” said senior lineman Tomas Perez. “It’s great to see that our hard work has truly paid off.”

With five league wins, the team is the most successful team CHS has had in almost 10 years. Many believe that Clausen was the reason for the shift, as he was successful in only his first year of coaching at CHS. Clausen intended to revise the team and turn around its pattern of losing games; however, in the end he said that their success was all the players’ doing.

“All the credit goes to the coaches and the kids,” Clausen said. “They’ve done a great job. The kids have worked really hard inside and outside the classroom.”

One of the most exciting moments in the season was when they beat rival school AHS at the Agoura homecoming game. The recent triumphs marked the beginning of a significantly improved track record for the team.

“Beating Agoura meant a lot,” said sophomore wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. “[The moment that stood out to me was] when I scored against Agoura to put us up a touchdown. Us beating Agoura was a must and we accomplished it, and it got us the success we needed for the rest of the season.”

Some controversy between AHS and CHS occurred on social media on the day leading up to the homecoming game; nevertheless, CHS emerged victorious. Clausen continues to be optimistic about the team’s future and stands by his philosophy on coaching no matter what the circumstances.

“We coach high school football to help mentor the kids,” Clausen said. “In the end, we just want to give them experience and help prepare them for college.”

The season’s success has a turning point in CHS football history and signaled a new age of serious competitiveness in the league.