Recruiting Eyes on Carey, Kirschke

Spring football practice is four weeks away, but college scouts and recruiters are trying to get a jump on two county players who figure to be highly sought after this fall.

Los Alamitos quarterback Tim Carey and Esperanza lineman Travis Kirschke figure to be among the nation’s top 100 players next season.

Kirschke, who is up to 255 pounds after an extensive off-season weight program, is competing in the shotput and discus for Esperanza’s track and field team.

“I’ve never had a player so heavily recruited,” Esperanza Coach Gary Meek said. “He gets seven or eight letters a day. We won’t start spring football until May 26, but he’s already getting hand-signed letters from (Penn State Coach) Joe Paterno.”

Meek said Kirschke has shown interest in Washington, USC, UCLA, Penn State and Notre Dame. “It’s wide open, but I’ll bet he stays on the West Coast,” Meek said.

Carey, who led Los Alamitos to the Division III championship last fall, might be the county’s most sought-after quarterback since Bret Johnson (El Toro) and Todd Marinovich (Capistrano Valley).

“I’ve got a stack of letters for Tim here at school and more keep coming in every day,” Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes said. “A coach at Texas told me that Tim could be the No. 1 high school quarterback in the nation next season.”