After breaking his nose on an accidental elbow during the first game of his junior season, Jordan High's Chris Cassity never would have guessed that the first game of his senior season would include another blow to the nose from another unmarked elbow.

But, to the senior, it was just a chance to fight back with his talent instead of with his own elbow.

"I wasn't happy, but it was just a coincidence that it happened again," Cassity said. "But getting elbowed, dead-legged and stuff like that, you just have to battle through it."

Cassity didn't just battle through it last November, he carried the Beetdiggers to a 79-68 win over Escalante with 22 points, including five three-pointers.

Even though minor injuries tend to come pretty regularly for the team captain, Cassity finds a way to help his team succeed, whether it's dishing out assists or knocking down open shots.

Though Jordan has had a rocky preseason, coach Dave McConnell knows he can rely on Cassity this regular season to lead the Beetdiggers, whether he's in pain or not.

"He's like an Energizer Bunny," McConnell said. "He has had bad luck with injuries. When he got whacked in the nose during the first game of the season, he wiped the blood off his jersey and gutted it out. Most players don't do that, but he got back in there and helped us win."

Though getting tangled while double-teaming post players on defense can be tough for the 6-foot-1 point guard, Cassity really doesn't mind. He's overcome much bigger obstacles in his basketball experience, like battling for playing time on Jordan's sophomore squad as a ninth-grader.

Although being one of the last few players chosen on the team could have disappointed Cassity, it only ignited his desire to improve his game, and he was soon rewarded for his efforts.

"I was one of the last two kids picked to practice with the sophomore team, and I hardly played," Cassity said. "It just fired me up to practice harder and earn more minutes. I just kept playing during the summer, every single day. And on jayvee the next year, I was honored with the most-improved award."

Now as the Beetdiggers' leader, who was recently nominated for the 2006 McDonald's All-American Game, Cassity runs the offense fluidly and sometimes leads the team in scoring. In both of Jordan's wins over American Fork in the preseason, Cassity led both teams in scoring with 20 and 17 points, respectively.

The two wins at the E Center are the biggest highlights of the team's season so far, and they also included Cassity hitting an impressive 20-of-20 free-throw attempts.

But McConnell doesn't just depend on his point guard's shooting ability. He especially appreciates how Cassity runs the team and involves everyone on offense.

"He's the best passer I've ever coached," McConell said. "He gives everyone easy shots, and I'm happy when he calls out plays when I hesitate. He's like an assistant coach out there. When it's so noisy in the gym, you can't hear, but he'll call the play. It makes my job a lot easier."

When Cassity isn't serving as McConell's fourth assistant coach, he is winning region championships in tennis, after only picking up a racket as a sophomore, and serving as Jordan's student body secretary at 6 a.m. meetings.

Though he follows a hectic schedule, Cassity still puts extra time during the season to sharpen his skills in gyms with his teammates or shooting by himself.

"It's tough sometimes, but I realize that you're in high school once," Cassity said. "It's not like I'll get another chance. High school is a one-time opportunity. It's a lot of work, but I like it."