Hueneme Gets Deep Six From Smith in 73-6 Rout

Well-trained standout quarterback that he is, Newbury Park High’s Keith Smith knows to temper comments about his team’s play no matter how good the performance.

And while Smith can downplay statistics with the best triggermen around, even he was impressed with the numbers the Panthers rolled up in a 73-6 nonleague victory over helpless Hueneme on Friday night at Newbury Park.

“This was a really good confidence builder,” said Smith, who passed for six touchdowns and ran for one. “The whole team has been looking forward to this game for a long time.

“We got it going early and we just kept rolling. We probably would have gotten 100 if we wanted to.”

Hyperbole? Actually not.

A sampling of the carnage:

* The Panthers, who held a 73-0 lead with eight minutes to play, broke the school single-game scoring record of 55 points set against Simi Valley in 1990.

* Newbury Park outgained Hueneme, 467 yards to 145.

* Smith passed for 335 yards (with no interceptions) and his six touchdown passes broke his school record of five in a game set last season.

* Receiver Leodes Van Buren caught eight passes for 155 yards and four touchdowns and returned the opening kickoff of the second half 97 yards for a touchdown.

* Receiver Jason Tucker had 135 yards on two catches, including an 83-yard touchdown pass play.

* Running back-defensive back Albert Reddick scored on a six-yard run in the first quarter and returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

* The Panther defense recovered five fumbles and did not allow a touchdown until 1:26 remained.

“Everybody did their jobs,” Tucker said. “Our defense had something to prove because everyone always thinks of our offense. They were great.”

Said Van Buren: “We’ve been waiting for this since practice started. We played like we should have against this team.”

Typically, the coach was less than ecstatic.

“Well, we didn’t score on punt returns,” Coach George Hurley said. “We did some things really well but everything wasn’t perfect.

“We got a little sloppy, but things are going to get a little sloppy in a game like this.”

For the Vikings, it looks like business as usual--which is not a good thing. Hueneme looked hopeless from the onset as Newbury Park raced to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter. The Panthers built a 47-0 lead by halftime.

Smith and Van Buren opened the scoring with a spectacular 40-yard touchdown pass play. Smith hit Van Buren at the 10 and Van Buren did the rest, knocking over two Viking defensive backs on his way to the end zone.

Hueneme has lost 22 consecutive games and 42 of its last 43.