Lewis Made His Points

He has an exceptional combination of size, speed and strength, but the thing that distinguishes wide receiver and running back Whitney Lewis of Ventura St. Bonaventure is his approach to the game of football.

Jon Mack, St. Bonaventure’s coach, says that superb genetics have allowed the 6-foot-2, 218-pound Lewis to run a hand-timed 4.34 seconds in the 40 yard-dash, bench-press 305 pounds and squat 590. But he has extraordinary drive and determination.

“He is very committed in the weight room,” Mack said. “He studies film and is always looking for a way to take advantage of an opposing defense. He’s definitely a student of the game. He has worked very hard on his speed and improving his ability to change directions and run patterns.

“He was blessed with a lot of God-given ability, but he has worked very hard to improve what he has.”

Lewis, a senior, concurs.

“I’ve just always been taught that there’s always someone out there who is better than you,” he said. “That you have to work hard to improve yourself because there are people out there who will pass you by if you don’t.

“I always want to be the best. Whether it’s the best receiver, the top recruit or the best player at this level or that level.”

Lewis, who was overshadowed by record-breaking running back Lorenzo Booker during his first three years at St. Bonaventure, was one of the most highly regarded receivers in the nation before this season.

His stellar play while leading St. Bonaventure to the Southern Section Division IV title led to his selection as The Times’ Glenn Davis Award honoree.

Lewis rushed for 1,059 yards in 112 carries, caught 65 passes for 1,235 yards and scored 42 touchdowns this season, reaching the end zone once every 4 1/2 times he touched the ball on offense.

“He has the ability to take a typical play and turn it into a touchdown,” Mack said. “His ultimate goal is to get into the end zone and win ballgames.”

Lewis, who plans to take recruiting trips to Florida, Miami, Texas, USC and Washington, saved his best performance of the season for last when he accounted for 359 of St. Bonaventure’s 521 yards in a 40-14 rout of Westlake Village Westlake in the Division IV title game.

Westlake entered that game with one of most highly regarded defenses in Ventura County, but Lewis shredded it.

He had touchdown runs of 16, 80 and 38 yards in the first half and added a 52-yard touchdown reception to help the Seraphs (13-1) take a 33-7 lead at intermission.

He added a 21-yard touchdown reception the first time he touched the ball in the third quarter.

All told, he had nine carries for 192 yards and seven receptions for 167 yards.

St. Bonaventure’s victory did not come as a shock to those who followed Division IV football this season, but it gave Lewis and his teammates a sense of redemption because critics had contended that the Seraphs won three consecutive Division XI titles -- and 42 consecutive games -- from 1999-2001 while beating up on small schools.

“We weren’t worried about the jump to Division IV,” Lewis said. “We knew we were fully prepared for it because last year we had played some Division XI teams that held their own against some of the better Division IV schools. We knew what we had to do and we did it.”

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Glenn Davis Award Winners

*--* A look at The Times’ high school football players of the year: ’01 Hershel Dennis, L.B. Poly RB ’02 Tyler Ebell, Ventura RB ’99 Matt Grootegoed, Mater Dei RB/DB ’98 Chris Lewis, L.B. Poly QB ’97 DeShaun Foster,Tustin RB/DB ’96 Antoine Harris, Loyola TE/DE ’95 Chris Claiborne, Riv. North LB/RB ’94 Daylon McCuthceon, B. Amat RB/DB ’93 Glenn Thompkins, Eisenhower QB/DB ’92 Travis Kirschke, Esperanza DL ’91 Billy Blanton, Mater Dei QB ’90 John Walsh, Carson QB ’89 Kevin Copeland, Dorsey WR ’88 Derek Brown, Servite RB ’87 Russell White, Crespi RB

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The Glenn Davis

Award

The award is named after the 1946 Heisman Trophy winner from Army, who, before teaming with Felix “Doc” Blanchard to form the famous “Mr. Inside-Mr. Outside” combination, starred at Bonita High. While at the La Verne school, the Bearcats won the Southern Section title in 1942 by beating Newport Harbor, 39-6, with Davis scoring five touchdowns.