Newbury Park’s Smith Named Tops in State : High school football: Montclair Prep’s Smith, L.A. Baptist’s Romero earn player-of-year honors in their respective divisions.

Newbury Park High quarterback Keith Smith on Wednesday became the first athlete from Ventura County to be named state football player of the year by Cal-Hi Sports magazine.

Smith led a clean sweep of top divisional awards for area players. Senior running back Wilbert Smith of Montclair Prep was selected the player of the year at the medium-schools level and senior receiver Jim Romero of L.A. Baptist was accorded the same honor among small schools.

Smith, a senior who led the Panthers (14-0) to the Southern Section Division III title, holds a slew of state records, including 9,967 yards passing and 11,457 yards of total offense.

Despite facing a team loaded with speedy athletes in the secondary, Smith led Newbury Park to a 22-14 victory over Hawthorne in the Division III final with 177 yards rushing and 259 yards passing. He scored on a 98-yard run to clinch the Panthers’ victory.

Teammate Leodes Van Buren, a senior receiver, and Buena senior running back George Keiaho also made the all-state first team, which includes players of every division. Smith and Antelope Valley punter Chad Shrout, a junior, also were first-team selections.

At the medium-schools level, senior lineman Jason Rempel of Calabasas was a repeat selection. Sean Leach, a senior punter from Nordhoff, and Montclair Prep senior linebacker Dorrick Roy also made the first team.

Romero was joined on the small-schools team by teammate Zack Hernandez, a senior quarterback.

Five players, including Shrout, made the all-underclass team. They included Taft juniors DaShon Polk and Jerry Brown. Lineman Mark Manskar of Canyon and receiver Billy Miller of Westlake, both juniors, also made the underclass team.