Mr. Football 2024: Brady Smigiel

The Newbury Park football team went from D4 finalist in the CIF Southern Section up to D2 champion behind junior QB Brady Smigiel, who also is on track to become the section’s all-time leader for career touchdown passes (and maybe yards). Photo: Newbury Park football.


Much improved rushing totals plus only three interceptions compared to 49 TD passes all helped Newbury Park junior Brady Smigiel to capture the state’s longest running and perhaps most prestigious high school football honor. It was a very difficult selection and we spell it all out. Smigiel, who led the Panthers to the CIF Southern Section D2 title and 14-1 record, is just the second Mr. Football winner for the state from Newbury Park, following Keith Smith for 1993.

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When the California Interscholastic Federation officially announced the matchups for the D1-AA regional playoffs — Folsom vs Pittsburg in the north and Newbury Park vs Lincoln of San Diego in the south — the possibility of two of the nation’s top quarterbacks meeting in a state final became more of a reality. We could see it coming weeks earlier and to be honest would have loved to see Newbury Park’s Brady Smigiel and Folsom’s Ryder Lyons going head-to-head. Easy and not difficult Mr. Football State Player of the Year selections are always preferred.

Neither team was able to get past its regional opponents, however, as Folsom lost 28-26 to Pitt and Newbury Park fell 34-27 to Lincoln. Then in the state final it was Lincoln edging Pittsburg, 28-26.

Newbury Park head coach Joe Smigiel stands with his son, Mr. Football State Player of the Year Brady Smigiel. Photo: Harold Abend / Cal-Hi Sports.


With a nod to Lincoln senior quarterback Akili Smith Jr. and a look at leading players from CIF Open Division state champ Mater Dei of Santa Ana, the final part of the Mr. Football process came down to Smigiel and Lyons and in a close call the winner is Brady. We have more on what he did below and you can read more about what Lyons and Smith did in our writeups for our other state players of the year. Since Smigiel is a junior and technically for us played for what we had as a medium school all season, Lyons has been named State Large Schools Player of the Year and Smith has been named State Senior of the Year. Brady also would be medium schools and state junior of the year.

Smigiel is just the fourth ever from Ventura County to be named Mr. Football in the history of the honor, which goes back to 1890. The most recent was Whitney Lewis from St. Bonaventure of Oxnard in 2002, who came along just two years after running back Tyler Ebell of Ventura broke national records for a 14-0 team in 2000. The one that hits more close to home for the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Brady and his dad, Joe, who is Newbury Park’s head coach, is the one from 1993. That went to Newbury Park’s Keith Smith, now a well-known trainer and quarterback coach in the area. Smith led the Panthers to a 14-0 record and a CIF Southern Section title that season.

“I’m so blessed, thank you very much,” said Brady on Thursday night not long after he was informed of getting the honor.

“This is a very big honor and to share it with Keith is even more special,” said Joe, who has been Newbury Park’s head coach since 2021 and was an assistant coach for 10 years prior to that. “I played with Keith’s older brother at Newbury Park and remember him running around the field as a little kid. He also coached Brady in his early stages of his development and definitely helped him get to where he wants to be.”

It’s rare for a junior to be State Player of the Year, too. The last one to get it was a good one — running back Najee Harris of Antioch — in 2015. Najee had another strong season in 2016, but was not able to repeat. None of the juniors in the modern era who are on the all-time list, in fact, have been able to win the honor twice.

Compared to Brady’s sophomore season, his passing yards and TD pass totals were lower as a junior. But they were still among the reported state leaders with 3,521 yards and 49 TDs. He was playing for a much better overall team, however, and there were more games in which he had to come out earlier or stop throwing earlier. His dad estimated that there were 10 quarters of games in which Brady didn’t play that were played the previous season. Smigiel also was much improved in two other key factors — rushing yards and interceptions. For his junior year, he rushed for 435 yards and 11 touchdowns (compared to just 52 yards as a sophomore) and he only threw three interceptions compared to those 49 TDs. Smigiel had 14 interceptions as a sophomore.

“He just spent a lot more time in our offensive coordinator’s room,” said Joe when asked about the improvements. “We went up to Oregon last summer and the offensive coordinator up there said that Bo Nix just wore him out with all of the questions he was asking. Ours came to me during the season and said, ‘Your son is wearing me out.'”

Newbury Park’s Shane Rosenthal (left) has become the state’s all-time career leader for receptions (324) and will rank high for yards (5,197) and touchdowns (62). QB Brady Smigiel is on right. Photo: Newbury Park Football.


“Brady was just very committed to the team and it showed,” the coach/dad continued. “He played with an injured AC joint in his shoulder in the last few weeks and he just played through it.”

Smigiel agreed with his father on the film study, but added he focused on staying healthy.

“I ended the previous season with a ankle sprain and worked on being extremely flexible,” he said. “As for the interceptions, it was understanding what each defender was going to be doing out there and learning the ins-and-outs of all the defenses.”

If anyone has followed our state player of the year honors over the years (we’ve done them right after each season since 1979 and have done retroactive picks back to 1890), you should know that state record achievements are a very important part of the criteria.

Smigiel, who was the State Freshman Player of the Year two seasons ago, already has 11,222 yards passing in his prep career (with still one more season to go). He’s currently one of just 15 quarterbacks in state history with 11,000 yards or more and will be slotted at No. 14 on the all-time state list when the records are all updated in a few months. He would need 3,775 next season to break the CIF Southern Section record of 14,007 set in 2018 by current Washington Commanders rookie sensation Jayden Daniels when he finished up at Cajon of San Bernardino. That total also is currently No. 2 on the all-time state list, which at 16,775 yards set in 2014 by Jake Browning of Folsom one would assume would not be breakable by Brady.

For touchdown passes, Smigiel already has 147 for his career and already is up to No. 5 on the all-time state list. He is much closer to the CIFSS record of 170 set by Daniels in 2018 than he is to Jayden’s CIFSS record for career yards. The state record of 229 held by Browning would require Newbury Park to play 16 games so that Brady would even have a chance to throw for 83 touchdowns to break it.

When Smith was setting records at Newbury Park in the 1990s, he had a receiving teammmate in Leodes Van Buren who was doing the same. Smigiel has had a similar special bond with receiving teammate Shane Rosenthal, especially over the last two seasons. In fact, after last season when Shane also came up with 12 interceptions on defense to go with 122 catches for 1,947 yards and 21 TDs on offense, he was the Panthers’ leading player of the year candidate. Rosenthal had lower numbers this season (his senior year) with 84 grabs for 1,576 yards and 24 TDs and seven interceptions, but was still named co-offensive player of the year with Smigiel on the All-CIFSS D2 team and received an Offensive Player of the Year nod from the Ventura County Star. Brady has been named L.A. Times Player of the Year and L.A. Daily News Player of the Year.

Brady & twin brother Beau are shown on their 18th birthday earlier this season. Photo: Newbury Park football.


“The biggest thing about Shane this season is that we were just a much better team and Brady just had other options to go to,” Joe Smigiel said. “That doesn’t take away from what Shane did at all. He does everything out there. Shane lived in the back seat of my car growing up. I have clips of those two with 80-yard touchdowns when they were little kids growing up.”

Shane is currently uncommitted for college for next year (that could change very soon) and Brady is hoping it’s somewhere close.

“I’m not only going to miss him on the field, but he’s my best friend,” Brady said. “Hopefully, he’s going to be able to come to some of our games on Fridays next season.”

Brady’s obvious most special bond on the Newbury Park team besides his dad being the head coach is with twin brother Beau. The duo hooked up for four TD passes when they were sophomores in the first game of that season and this season on their 18th birthday they connected for a touchdown pass in a win against Calabasas. Beau also didn’t have as big of a season as a receiver from 2023 due to all of the other players on the depth chart, but is hoping to have a strong senior season due to Rosenthal and others graduating.

The Smigiel family also includes two other older daughters for dad Joe and wife Dionne, Riley and Emma. Joe says that none of the girls played much sports, but added that his wife “stands about 5-foot-10.”

Since his freshman season, Smigiel has been a highly-ranked quarterback recruit for the nation in his class. Entering the spring/summer camp/showcase season, Brady is currently shown in the top five for QBs by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.com. Lyons is ranked that high as well and one would assume both will be selected to be in the annual Elite 11 camp in June and both looking to do well.

Brady committed to Florida State last summer and said Wednesday he’s still committed to the Seminoles despite some coaching changes. He will be leaving for college as soon as the 2025 high school season is over.

Other colleges are still dropping by to talk to head coach Smigiel about Brady and other players (both graduating seniors and juniors) and on the day that Mr. Football was being announced we had to wait for Joe to call back because UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster was on campus.

In 1997, Coach Foster was our State Player of the Year after a record-breaking season as a running back at Tustin. That just made it a Mr. Football kind of day for all.

MR. FOOTBALL STATE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
ALL-TIME LIST OF HONOREES

(All selected by Cal-Hi Sports but done retroactively based on research prior to 1975 by our late founder, Nelson Tennis):

Elijah Brown was a four-year starting QB at Mater Dei. Photo: Scott Kurtz / Cal-Hi Sports.


2024 — Brady Smigiel (Newbury Park) QB (Jr.)
2023 — Elijah Brown (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) QB
2022 — Roderick Robinson
(Lincoln, San Diego) RB
2021 — Tetairoa McMillan
(Servite, Anaheim) WR/DB
2020 — Raesjon Davis
(Mater Dei, Santa Ana) LB*
2019 — DJ Uiagalelei
(St. John Bosco, Bellflower) QB
2018 — Bru McCoy
(Mater Dei, Santa Ana) WR
2017 — JT Daniels
(Mater Dei, Santa Ana) QB*
2016 — Wyatt Davis
(St. John Bosco, Bellflower) OL
2015 — Najee Harris (Antioch) RB (Jr.)
2014 — Jake Browning (Folsom) QB
2013 — Adoree’ Jackson
(Serra, Gardena) WR-DB
2012 — Michael Hutchings (De La Salle, Concord) LB
2011 — Deontay Greenberry (Washington Union, Easton) WR-DB
2010 — Dano Graves (Folsom) QB
2009 — Dillon Baxter (Mission Bay, San Diego) QB-RB
2008 — Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic, SD) RB
2007 — Milton Knox (Birmingham, Lake Balboa) RB
2006 — Aaron Corp (Lutheran, Orange) QB
2005 — Toby Gerhart (Norco) RB
2004 — Desean Jackson (Poly, Long Beach) WR-DB-KR
2003 — Sean Norton (Hart, Newhall) QB
2002 — Whitney Lewis (St. Bonaventure) WR-RB
2001 — Derek Landri (De La Salle, Concord) OL-DL
2000 — Tyler Ebell (Ventura) RB
1999 — D.J. Williams (De La Salle, Concord) RB-LB
1998 — Kyle Boller (Hart, Newhall) QB
1997 — DeShaun Foster (Tustin) RB
1996 — Rod Perry (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) WR-DB
1995 — Chris Claiborne (J.W. North, Riverside) RB-LB
1994 — Daylon McCutcheon (Bishop Amat, La Puente) RB-DB
1993 — Keith Smith (Newbury Park) QB
1992 — Travis Kirschke (Esperanza, Anaheim) OL-DL
1991 — Amani Toomer (De La Salle, Concord) WR
1990 — Napoleon Kaufman (Lompoc) RB
1989 — Ryan Hancock (Monta Vista, Cupertino) QB
1988 — Tommie Smith (Antelope Valley, Lancaster) RB-DB
1987 — Bret Johnson (El Toro) QB
1986 — Russell White (Crespi, Encino) RB (Soph.)
1985 — Terry Rodgers (Sweetwater, National City) RB-KR
1984 — Aaron Emanuel (Quartz Hill) RB
1983 — Ryan Knight (Rubidoux, Riverside) RB
1982 — John Paye (Menlo School, Atherton) QB
1981 — Kevin Willhite (Cordova, Rancho Cordova) RB
1980 — Michael Alo (Banning, Wilmington) FB
1979 — Kerwin Bell (Edison, Huntington Beach) RB
1978 — John Elway (Granada Hills) QB
1977 — Marcus Allen (Lincoln, San Diego) QB
1976 — Freeman McNeil (Banning, Wilmington) RB
1975 — Charles White (San Fernando) RB
1974 — Myron White (Santa Ana Valley) RB
1973 — Frank Manumaluena (Banning, Wilmington) LB
1972 — Wally Henry (Lincoln, San Diego) RB
1971 — John Sciarra (Bishop Amat, La Puente) QB
1970 — Pat Haden (Bishop Amat, La Puente) QB
1969 — James McAlister (Blair, Pasadena) RB
1968 — Jesse Freitas (Serra, San Mateo) QB
1967 — Calvin Jones (Balboa, San Francisco) RB (Jr.)
1966 — Mickey Cureton (Centennial, Compton) RB
1965 — Greg Jones (South San Francisco) RB
1964 — George Buehler (Whittier) LB-OL
1963 — Tim Rossovich (St. Francis, MV) LB
1962 — Steve Grady (Loyola, Los Angeles) RB
1961 — Mike Garrett (Roosevelt, Los Angeles) RB
1960 — Kent Nance (Madera) RB
1959 — Willie Brown (Poly, Long Beach) RB
1958 — Daryle Lamonica (Clovis) QB
1957 — Jim Josephson (Bellarmine, San Jose) FB
1956 — Randy Meadows (Downey) RB
1955 — Mickey Flynn (Anaheim) RB (Jr.)
1954 — Dick Bass (Vallejo) RB
1953 — C.R. Roberts (Oceanside) RB
1952 — Ronnie Knox (Santa Monica) QB
1951 — Marty Keough (Pomona) RB
1950 — Charley Powell (San Diego) E
1949 — Paul Larson (Turlock) HB
1948 — Johnny Olszewski (St. Anthony, Long Beach) FB
1947 — Hugh McElhenny (L.A. Washington) FB
1946 — Al Pollard (L.A. Loyola) HB
1945 — Paul Haynes (Pasadena) HB
1944 — Jackie Jensen (Oakland) HB
1943 — Don Burnside (Grant, North Sacramento) QB
1942 — Glenn Davis (Bonita, La Verne) QB
1941 — Billy Agnew (Piedmont) HB
1940 — Tommy Fears (L.A. Manual Arts) E
1939 — Johnny Petrovich (Alhambra) QB
1938 — Jim Jurkovich (Fresno) FB
1937 — Frankie Albert (Glendale) QB
1936 — Mike Klotovich (San Francisco Mission) HB
1935 — Kenny Washington (L.A. Lincoln) QB
1934 — Doyle Nave (L.A. Manual Arts) HB
1933 — Vic Bottari (Vallejo) QB
1932 — Nello “Flash” Falaschi (Bellarmine, San Jose) HB
1931 — Larry Lutz (Santa Ana) T
1930 — Charles “Chili” Bertoli (Berkeley) HB
1929 — Ervin “Cotton” Warburton (San Diego) QB (Jr.)
1928 — Orv Mohler (Alhambra) QB
1927 — Gus Shaver (Covina) HB
1926 — Erny Pinckert (San Bernardino) FB
1925 — Francis Tappaan (Los Angeles) T

*Davis was a senior and played in five-game spring season in 2021. Daniels played as a junior during the 2017 season, but reclassified to senior status after the season.

Note: List continues back to 1890 in the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book & Almanac.

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports


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One Comment

  1. Claudia
    Posted January 17, 2025 at 10:42 am | Permalink

    My twin grandsons AND my son -in law? Could I be more proud?? What a ride!!

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