Henry, Simmons Share Valley College Award

Kenyth Henry and Vernon Simmons were named co-most valuable players at the Valley College men’s basketball awards banquet Tuesday night.

Henry, a 6-foot-2 sophomore forward from El Camino Real High, averaged 13.8 points during the regular season and Simmons, a 6-7 freshman center from Simi Valley High, averaged 9.8 points and 10.8 rebounds.

Tooki Akinloye, a 5-7 sophomore point guard from Cleveland High, and Craig Griffin, a 6-1 sophomore guard from Simi Valley, were named co-captains.

Mack Cleveland, a 6-3 freshman guard from Chicago, was most inspirational and LaMarr Thompson, a 6-6 freshman center from Sylmar High, was most improved.

Point guard Michael Farmer, a 6-foot freshman from Sylmar, received the playmaker award and Griffin, who had a 3.75 grade-point average, was the scholar athlete.

Football

Former Newbury Park High quarterback Keith Smith, who this month retired from his eight-month professional baseball career to pursue college football, said Wednesday he will play at Arizona, the school whose scholarship he originally accepted last spring.

Contributing: Fernando Dominguez, Jeff Fletcher.