PREP FOOTBALL : Eisenhower’s Thompkins Named Player of Year

Two days after leading Rialto Eisenhower High to the Southern Section Division I championship, quarterback Glenn Thompkins was presented the Glenn Davis Award on Sunday as Southern California’s best high school football player.

The award, given annually by The Times, is named after the former Heisman Trophy winner who attended Army and Bonita High in La Verne. It was presented during a ceremony in Riverside.

Thompkins, 17, was a three-year starter for the Eagles, who finished the season with a 14-0 record after defeating Santa Ana Mater Dei, 56-3, Friday night at Anaheim Stadium. Showing the versatility he displayed all year, Thompkins threw for 174 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown against the Monarchs. He also broke up several passes and returned two punts.

“We finished the year undefeated because of Glenn Thompkins,” said Tom Hoak, Eisenhower’s coach. “He’s so versatile, he can play every position.”

Thompkins, 5 feet 9, 163 pounds, passed for 1,214 yards and rushed for 717 this year. He also started at a variety of positions on defense, including inside linebacker and end. He is being recruited by dozens of schools, including Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Kansas, but is expected to sign with UCLA.

Other finalists for the award were quarterback Keith Smith of Newbury Park and tight end/linebacker Tony Gonzalez of Huntington Beach.

The Times honors football players in 10 circulation regions. Winners of the lineman, back and coach of the year for each of those areas were:

Central City--Norman Ysaguirre, 6-0, 290, Sr. Dorsey (lineman); William Yates, 6-1, 187, Sr., Fremont (back); Taja Rodisha, Fremont (coach).

Inland Empire--Coleman Johnson, 6-2, 275, Sr., Riverside Poly (lineman); Glenn Thompkins, 5-9, 163, Sr., Rialto Eisenhower (back); Gary Campbell, Norco (coach).

Orange County--Tony Gonzalez, 6-6, 230, Sr., Huntington Beach (lineman); Chris Draft, 6-0, 200, Sr.; Placentia Valencia (back); Myron Miller, Costa Mesa (coach).

San Fernando Valley--Keith Schiele, 6-0, 210, Sr., Lancaster Antelope Valley (lineman); Mike Kocicka, 6-3, 210, Sr., Newhall Hart (back); Richard Fong, Panorama City St. Genevieve (coach).

San Gabriel Valley--Pene Talamaivao, 6-3, 275, Sr., Pomona Ganesha (lineman); Miguel Meriwether, 6-2, 180, Sr., West Covina (back); Bob Mount, West Covina (coach).

South Bay--John Welbourn, 6-6, 275, Sr., Palos Verdes Peninsula (lineman); Omarr Morgan, 5-9, 165, Sr., Hawthorne (back); Don Morrow, Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (coach).

South Coast--Brandon Whiting, 6-3, 260, Sr. Long Beach Poly (lineman); Danjuan McGee, 6-3, 260, Sr., Long Beach Poly (back); Willie Donerson, Compton Dominguez (coach).

Southeast--Jerry Lemon, 6-3, 260, Sr., La Mirada (lineman); Greg Ford, 6-0, 240, Sr., Whittier (back); Darrell Walsh, Cerritos Gahr (coach).

Ventura--Leodes Van Buren, 6-1, 190, Sr., Newbury Park (lineman); Keith Smith, 5-10, 175, Sr., Newbury Park (back); George Hurley, Newbury Park (coach).

Westside--Matt Higgins, 6-4, 260, Sr., Playa del Rey St. Bernard (lineman); Seka Edwards, 6-1, 170, Sr., Westchester (back); Marshall Jones, L.A. University (coach).