RECRUITING / JEFF FELLENZER : UCLA, USC Remain High on Shopping List of Lineman Kirschke

College recruiters, take note: Travis Kirschke appreciates the nice words, but he isn’t getting carried away by all the attention.

Kirschke, a two-way lineman at Anaheim Esperanza High, is considered one of the two best defensive line prospects among the senior class in California. When he’s not stuffing a running play or overpowering blockers on his way to another quarterback sack, the 6-foot-4 1/2, 250-pound Kirschke lines up at guard.

Tom Lemming of Schaumburg, Ill., who publishes the Prep Football Report, called Kirschke one of the five best defensive linemen in the country.

Dick Lascola of the Fallbrook, Calif.-based Scouting Evaluation Assn. said of Kirschke: “I like his quickness and aggressiveness. He moves well, has good change of direction, finds the football and can beat his block. He’s a very talented young man.”

Kirschke’s list of colleges is down to five--UCLA, USC, Washington, Notre Dame and Colorado. Kirschke, who plans to major in business or communications in college, will make an official visit to Washington this weekend, when the Huskies play host to Oregon State. He plans to visit UCLA in January.

The Bruins have developed something of an “Esperanza connection” in recent years, having recruited linemen such as James Rae, Mike Linn and current junior defensive tackle Matt Werner. Werner’s younger brother, Brian, is a 6-5, 235-pound senior defensive lineman at Esperanza who is also being recruited by several schools, including UCLA. He is playing football for the first time since his freshman year after shattering his ankle in a car accident.

“As far as education, for what I want to do, all of the schools are about the same,” Kirschke said. “I can’t really go wrong; they’re all good. So that isn’t that big of a factor for me.

“For football, I want a school that can point me in the direction of the pros. But the main thing is, I want to be in a place where I feel comfortable, since I’ll be there four or five years.”

It’s hard to imagine more standout receivers coming out of one high school than Long Beach Poly.

The list includes Earl McCullouch (USC, Detroit Lions); Gene Washington (Stanford, San Francisco 49ers); Tony Hill (Stanford, Dallas Cowboys); Stephone Paige (Fresno State, Kansas City Chiefs); Andre Tyler (Stanford, Tampa Bay Buccaneers); Hank Norman (USC’s all-time leader in receptions when he left after the 1985 season); Chris Roscoe (Hawaii); Eric Morgan (New Mexico); Ronnie Woods (Pacific); Alphonso Williams (Nevada) and Anthony Cobbs, who is a redshirt freshman at UCLA.

The latest Jackrabbit receiver to attract attention from college coaches is Jason McCorvey, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior who caught the game-winning, 25-yard touchdown pass Friday night to help lift Poly to a 10-7 victory over rival Long Beach Wilson.

McCorvey has 31 catches for 666 yards (21.5 yards a catch) and six touchdowns. He’s also an outstanding punt and kick returner.

“He’ll be a top-level Division I guy,” said Poly co-coach Jerry Jaso, who has coached at the school for 13 years. “He has great lateral speed and quickness and a great pair of hands. Physically, he’s a strong kid.”

Athleticism runs in the family. McCorvey’s second cousin, Kez McCorvey, is Florida State’s second-leading receiver this season.

Among colleges showing the most interest in McCorvey are Washington, UCLA, San Diego State, Arizona State, Cal, Washington State, Fresno State, Kansas and Nevada Las Vegas. He has a trip to Fresno State scheduled for January. He will take the America College Testing exam in December.

Besides McCorvey, Poly has a number of other college prospects. Shatony Sargeant, a 6-5, 235-pound defensive end, has talked to USC, but his academics remain a question.

Fia Ili may be undersized for a linebacker at 5-11, 235 pounds, but Jaso says he has been a force all season. Other senior prospects include running back Scoey Peters (5-9, 170) and guard Simona Toomalatai (6-0, 245).

Jaso, who has coached such Poly defensive standouts as Mark Carrier (USC, Chicago Bears), Dennis Price (UCLA, New York Jets), Chuckie Miller (UCLA), Gene Burkhalter (Washington), Brian Tuliau (USC) and current Trojan player Willie McGinest, is effusive in his praise of 6-2, 240-pound middle linebacker Dan Juan Magee. Although he injured a knee in Poly’s second game, Magee is back in the lineup.

“He’s gonna be a great one,” Jaso said. “He’s a dominating kind of kid who can stop the run, turn around and cover the pass, and run sideline to sideline. And he has the grades.”

Other standout Poly juniors include two-way lineman Brandon Whiting (6-3 1/2, 240), the son of co-coach and offensive coordinator Thomas Whiting, and cornerbacks Lamont Morgan and Kelly Malveaux.

“We’ve been a little off our mark in the the secondary in recent years, but we’re back with Morgan and Malveaux,” Jaso said. “They’re great cover guys.”

Notes

The early signing period for basketball continues through Wednesday. After Wednesday, players cannot sign letters until the April 14 to May 15 period. . . . Kansas completed a terrific recruiting class by signing 6-10 center-forward Scot Pollard of Kennewick, Wash. Pollard joins Pasadena Muir point guard Jacque Vaughn; 6-foot-11 center-forward Nick Proud of Sandy, Utah, a native of Australia, and 6-8 forward B.J. Williams of Wichita, Kan. Pollard and Proud are Mormon, and the Jayhawks had to secure their services over Brigham Young. . . . As expected, North Carolina signed 6-3 Jeff McInnis of Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. McInnis and Vaughn are two of the nation’s premier point guard prospects. . . . Louisiana State signed one of the finest backcourt combinations in recent memory in 6-4 Randy Livingston of New Orleans, considered the nation’s top overall prospect, and 6-4 Ronnie Henderson of Jackson, Miss. In addition, the Tigers are expected to sign highly regarded 6-8 forward Jerald Honeycutt of Grambling, La., in the spring . . . Duke has signed 6-6 forward Carmen Wallace from Wilmington, Del., to complete a class that includes three players considered among the country’s top 25 by talent scout Bob Gibbons of Lenoir, N.C.: 6-10 forward Joey Beard of Reston, Va.; 6-11 forward-center Greg Newton of Niagara Falls, Canada, and 6-4 point guard Jeff Capel of Hope Mills, N.C. . . . Wisconsin has received an unwritten commitment from 7-1 center Rashard Griffith of Chicago. He was expected to sign this week after choosing the Badgers over Purdue, Michigan and Illinois.