HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS / SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION III : Smith Rallies Newbury Park

Before the Southern Section Division III championship game, Hawthorne High defenders refused to concede that Keith Smith, Newbury Park’s record-setting quarterback, could lead the Panthers to a victory.

They were wrong.

In the second half, Smith passed for two touchdowns and ran for a 98-yard score to lead No. 3 Newbury Park to a 22-14 victory Saturday night at Moorpark College in front of 8,000 fans.

Newbury Park (14-0) won its first section title. Hawthorne (12-2) was the defending champion.

Despite the fact that Smith entered the game as the state’s all-time leading passer, the Cougars were not impressed.

“We’ve read all this stuff in the paper like (Smith) has already won the Heisman,” Cougar cornerback Justin Stallings said before the game. “If he does what he’s done against everyone else against us, then I’ll say he’s the greatest athlete I’ve ever played against. But until then, I feel he’s just another quarterback.”

Added Hawthorne safety Omarr Morgan: “(Smith) is nothing special.”

Actually, Smith is something special. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior rallied the Panthers from a 14-0 halftime deficit with his scrambling ability and knack for making big plays.

He completed 16 of 34 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 157 yards and a score in 15 carries.

“We had 11 guys going after him on the run all night long, but we couldn’t stop him,” Hawthorne Coach Dan Robbins said.

Smith threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Leodes Van Buren, a two-point conversion to Jason Tucker, and a 26-yard scoring pass to Tucker, all in the third quarter. That gave the Panthers a 15-14 lead.

Smith then clinched the victory with an electrifying touchdown run from his own two-yard line.

He finished his prep career with 9,974 yards passing, second-highest ever in the nation.

But the Cougars held him in check in the first half, sacking him five times and forcing him to throw an interception.

Hawthorne quarterback Kenji Tatum scored on a 57-yard run early in the second quarter, and threw a 40-yard scoring pass to Kelvin Hunter with 17 seconds remaining in the first half.