Barkley winner of the Joe Montana Award

Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley has won another major award.

The junior has been selected the winner of the first Joe Montana Quarterback of the Year Award. The award is for the best high school quarterback in the nation for 2007.

Barkley was previously selected The Orange County Register's offensive player of the year and Gatorade's national player of the year.

Barkley (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) will be recognized for his latest award during the first half of the Outback Bowl between Wisconsin and Tennessee in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

The award contest was run by DeBartolo Sports University, Hall of Fame quarterback Montana and quarterback guru Steve Clarkson, president of DeBartolo Sports University. The university was created by former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr.

In 2007, Barkley passed for an Orange County-record 3,560 yards and 35 touchdowns in 11 games.

During his acceptance speech for the Gatorade award, Barkley credited Clarkson among others for his success.

Barkley and his parents depart Saturday for Florida.

Contact the writer: preps@ocregister.com