Tucker Grabs Spotlight as Newbury Park Wins

Although standout senior Leodes Van Buren is without question the area’s premier pass catcher, the Newbury Park High offense also has other capable receivers.

Senior Jason Tucker made that fact clear to Agoura firsthand.

Tucker caught eight passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns in Newbury Park’s 40-14 Marmonte League victory Friday night over Agoura. Tucker has caught 45 passes for 818 yards and eight touchdowns.

Keith Smith of Newbury Park (9-0, 6-0 in league play) completed 18 of 24 passes for 287 yards and the three touchdowns to Tucker. He also ran for touchdowns of 38 and 10 yards.

Van Buren, the state’s all-time leader in receptions and yards receiving, caught seven passes for 86 yards. Van Buren has 245 receptions and 4,005 yards in his career.

The Panthers put the game out of reach with 4 minutes 4 seconds remaining in the third quarter on a 16-yard scoring pass from Smith to Tucker and Albert Reddick’s two-point conversion to make it 27-7.

Newbury Park barely avoided entering halftime tied for the first time this season. The Panthers, who have outscored nine opponents, 241-31, in the first half, led, 13-7, at halftime.

Tucker caught five passes in the half for 139 yards. His 37-yard touchdown reception with 16 seconds to play broke a 7-7 tie.

With 1:09 left in the half, Newbury Park took possession of the ball at its own 26 and scored in three plays. Tucker set up the touchdown on a pass from Smith that covered 42 yards.

Agoura (4-5, 3-3) opened the scoring in the opening quarter with a 98-yard, 14-play drive that consumed almost eight minutes.

On fourth down and 13 at the Panther 24, Ray Howden avoided a fierce rush, rolled to his right and threw back to receiver Charlie Brown on the left side. Brown eluded several would-be tacklers with some nifty moves to score the touchdown. Howden attempted only two passes on the drive and completed both.

The Panthers tied the score in the second quarter. Smith capped a 66-yard, seven-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.