Newbury Park Finishes Perfect Year on a High

After rolling over, through and around the competition for 40 quarters, Newbury Park High finally owns what it longed for: the Marmonte League championship.

Led by quarterback Keith Smith (four touchdown passes), the host Panthers routed Westlake, 42-21, Friday night before about 6,000 to win their second consecutive league title. Newbury Park (10-0, 7-0 in league play) won the fifth league championship in school history and completed its first 10-0 regular season. Westlake (7-2-1, 5-1-1) finished second in the league and also earned a playoff berth.

Smith completed 12 of 20 passes for 223 yards. Receiver Jason Tucker caught four passes for 124 yards and one touchdown, and receiver Leodes Van Buren had three receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns and ran nine yards for another score.

“This is huge,” Tucker said. “To win back-to-back titles and be the first team to go (10-0), this just makes our year.”

Said Smith: “This was all we ever thought about.”

Newbury Park--ranked first in The Times’ regional and Southern Section Division III polls--should be top-seeded in the section playoffs beginning next week. Hawthorne (9-1) of the Bay League is ranked second in Division III. The Panthers lost in the first round to Nogales last season, 50-36.

Warrior quarterback Kevin Crook completed 23 of 39 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Running back Craig Walendy gained 95 yards in 19 carries and scored one touchdown.

Newbury Park put the game out of reach with 8 minutes 9 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Van Buren took a handoff from Smith on an end-around and scored from nine yards to give the Panthers a 26-7 lead. The touchdown capped a five-play, 59-yard drive.

The Panthers entered halftime as they had in their previous nine games--ahead. Thanks to Smith’s three touchdown passes, Newbury Park held a 20-7 advantage at the intermission.

Newbury Park scored three straight first-half touchdowns after being forced to punt on the game’s opening possession. Smith teamed with Tucker on a 44-yard pass to open the scoring. The Panthers took a 12-0 lead when Smith found Van Buren for a 20-yard touchdown.

The Warriors cut the lead to 12-7 with 3:24 to play in first quarter on a nine-yard touchdown run by Walendy and Scott Morris’ extra point. Smith then drove the Panthers 80 yards in only four plays, the final eight yards coming on a pass from Smith to Rich Adams. Smith completed a two-point conversion pass to Tucker to give Newbury Park a 20-7 lead.

Westlake had an opportunity to cut the lead on the ensuing possession but failed to capitalize. The Warriors drove from their 20-yard line to the Panthers’ three, but linebacker Justin Simo stopped Jason Bedell in the backfield on fourth down.