Athlete of the Week: Another Stassel leads Newport Harbor

Charlie Stassel has been with the Newport Harbor High boys’ basketball team the last two times it won a tournament. The first time he was there as a fan nine years ago, the second time as a player last Saturday.

Each time in those two tournaments, a Stassel has played a vital role to the Sailors’ success.

The first Stassel to lead the way was Chad, Charlie’s older brother. As a 9-year-old, Charlie followed his brother’s team during the 2006-07 season. The most memorable moment for Charlie was traveling with his family to New Hampshire to watch Chad and the Sailors compete in an out-of-state tournament during the holidays.

After the Sailors claimed the Keene State Classic, Chad wound up with the best gift. He was the MVP of the tournament.

“Chad winning the MVP made it an even better trip,” Charlie said. “I almost felt like I was a part of the team. Moments like that made me want to attend Newport Harbor and play basketball just like my brother did.”

Early in his senior season, Charlie has almost mirrored Chad’s final season with the Sailors. Nine years after Chad earned the tournament MVP award, Charlie took home the top honor at the Oxford Academy tournament last week in Cypress.

The Sailors’ eight-season drought without claiming a tournament ended because of Charlie. The shooting guard finished with 19 points and three three-pointers in Newport Harbor’s 59-57 win against La Habra Whittier Christian in the tournament finale.

Chad was unable to be at Charlie’s championship game, but he motivated his brother beforehand.

“If you play well, you could probably get the MVP,” Charlie said Chad told him. “Ironically I did [by] averaging [16.2] points per game in that tourney.”

Charlie has been the Sailors’ top scorer through the first 10 games of the season, resulting in the program’s best start in 10 years. The Sailors are 8-2, and in eight of those contests, Charlie has reached double figures.

Charlie is averaging 13.5 points per game, and he can credit the production to him not coming off the bench as he did last season. He said Coach Bob Torribio has also given the Sailors more freedom on offense.

Just like Chad, who played guard, Charlie became a starter in his senior year at Newport Harbor. Charlie likes to point out that he and Chad are different players, he can dunk and Chad cannot.

“I’m the athletic kid in the family,” Charlie said with a smile, adding that he also has a better shot than Chad.

Charlie saying he has a better shot than his brother is a bold statement. Charlie has seen Chad light it up from the outside.

Charlie was in the gym nine years ago, when during the tournament in Keene, N.H., Chad drained eight three-pointers in the Sailors’ semifinal win. The mark used to be a Newport Harbor single-game record, until Chance Beauchamp broke it five seasons later by hitting nine threes at Huntington Beach.

Torribio has coached the Stassel brothers, and he would know which one shoots the ball better. Torribio was an assistant during Chad’s senior season.

“Chad always had wide-open looks,” Torribio said with a laugh, “because teams had to deal with a 6-foot-8 Kyle Caldwell and a 6-7 player Weston Dunlap down low.”

Charlie doesn’t have players with that kind of size to help him get easy shots.

Nevertheless, teammates are finding Charlie. He has shown he’s dangerous behind the arc, knocking down 11 three-pointers in the Sailors’ five wins at the Oxford Academy tournament, and above the rim.

Charlie has some hops for only being 5-11. The Sailors showcased Charlie’s leaping ability on the first play of the season at Loara on Nov. 30. Point guard Collin Pipkin threw an alley-oop pass to Charlie, who finished the play with a two-handed dunk.

The season got off to a rousing start, thanks to Charlie’s high-flying act. He said he has dunked four times this season, but his favorite dunk came last season in a Sunset League game against Los Alamitos.

“That was the only highlight [for us in the game],” said Charlie, whose team lost at home to the defending league champion Griffins, 60-30, Newport Harbor’s worst setback in league since 2011-12. “Last year we [finished third in league, five games] behind the top two teams, [Los Alamitos and Edison, which shared the league title].

“[The goal this season is] to win a championship, to compete in league for first place.”

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Charlie Stassel

Born: Oct. 22, 1997

Hometown: Newport Beach

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 160 pounds

Sport: Basketball

Year: Senior

Coach: Bob Torribio

Favorite food: Sushi

Favorite movie: “Step Brothers”

Favorite athletic moment: “Last year I had my first dunk in a [Sunset League] game against Los Al.”

Week in review: Stassel finished with 19 points, leading the Sailors to a 59-57 win against La Habra Whittier Christian in the Oxford Academy tournament championship game.