Newbury Park Remains Hot, 28-7

It was another action-packed episode of the Keith and Leodes show Friday night at Newbury Park High, and the hometown audience was not disappointed as their young heroes came through with a 28-7 victory over Channel Islands in a Marmonte League opener.

Keith Smith completed 17 of 25 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns and receiver Leodes Van Buren grabbed six of those aerials for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Ahead, 14-7, after a 12-yard scoring pass from Channel Islands quarterback Cesar Puga to tight end Raul Raya put the Raiders into the scoring column late in the third quarter, Newbury Park clinched the victory as Smith directed two fourth-quarter touchdown drives.

Van Buren caught one of Smith’s passes for a five-yard score and Smith hit tailback Jason Tucker for 23 yards and another six points.

The Panthers, who went 0-6 to open the 1991 season, have soared to a 3-1 start this year.

“Last year when we had a touchdown scored on us, we had a habit of putting our heads down,” Van Buren said. “This year our coach (George Hurley) hasn’t let us do that.”

Smith said he was shocked to find Van Buren open so often in the Channel Islands secondary. “I thought they would be double- and triple-teaming him,” he said.

Taking the ball 80 yards in four plays, Newbury Park went ahead, 6-0, on a pass from Smith to Jason Toohey with a minute left in the first quarter. A leaping catch on the sideline by Van Buren accounted for 40 yards on the drive.

The Panther defense had a chance to shine after an interception by Channel Islands’ Cesar Jimenez. Jimenez brought the ball to the Panther 17, but linebacker Robert Tanner and cornerback Albert Reddick stopped Salvador Lopez at the one on a fourth-down swing pass from Puga.

Smith then led Newbury Park on a 12-play, 99-yard drive, ending it with a seven-yard scramble for the touchdown. A two-point run by Richard Adams on an option play made it 14-0 at the half.