QB Barkley a junior high achiever

Matt Barkley, a guitar-playing, spiral-throwing quar- terback from Santa Ana Mater Dei, was selected Wednesday as the Gatorade male high school athlete of the year during a celebrity-filled ceremony at the Sofitel Hotel in Los Angeles.

Barkley, who has committed to USC and is preparing for his senior year of high school, is the first junior to win the award. Past recipients include LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Greg Oden and Kevin Love.

“I’m amazed,” Barkley said. “It’s awesome.”

A panel of sports media selected the winner based on “athletic excellence, academic achievement and exceptional character.”

The 6-foot-3 Barkley, who has a 3.77 grade-point average, plays guitar at church functions and helped spearhead Mater Dei’s Monarchs for Marines project that raised more than $100,000 for families of wounded and fallen Marines.

He also completed 63% of his passes for 3,576 yards and 35 touchdowns last season.

Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner who played for USC and Mater Dei, provided a passing-of-the-torch moment, announcing on the podium, “The winner is . . . my man, Matt Barkley.”

Barkley received the award over five candidates, including basketball standout Jrue Holiday from North Hollywood Campbell Hall and first-round Major League Baseball draft pick Kyle Skipworth from Riverside Patriot.

Chanelle Price, an 800-meter runner from Easton, Pa., was chosen female athlete of the year. Afterward, everyone headed for an appearance at the ESPY awards.

Candace Parker, Allyson Felix, Leinart and Oden were among the presenters during the afternoon ceremony. Barkley has displayed humility and poise in dealing with his increasing public profile that comes from being in the media spotlight.

“I just have the mind-set [that] me and my teammates are there to play football, and I have to shut everything else out,” Barkley said.

Added his father, Les: “I think Matt has always been a pretty unflappable kid since he was young. He tries to live a balanced life with athletics, academics and community service.”

Barkley won’t have much time to savor his award. He leaves on a plane at 6 a.m. today to compete with his Mater Dei teammates in a seven-on-seven passing tournament in Oregon.

--

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com