2 Muir Football Stars Opt for USC : Ervins and Phillips Give Verbal Commitments to Trojans

Running back Ricky Ervins and quarterback Vince Phillips both announced Tuesday that they will play for USC without even making an official visit, giving the Trojans the two top players off the Pasadena Muir High School team that went undefeated and won the Coastal Conference championship.

“I didn’t really know until later that he (Ervins) had made a verbal commitment,” said Phillips, whose uncle, Charles Phillips, was an All-American defensive back for the Trojans in the 1970s. “I was going to give one all the way (for USC), but I just went ahead and did it today since Ricky did it.”

The Trojans picked up several other key commitments heading into next Wednesday’s signing date: All-Southern Conference linebacker Scott Ross from El Toro, running back/defensive back Marion Bates from Tucson and tight end Frank Griffin from Rancho Cordova near Sacramento.

“I probably always wanted to go to USC,” said Ross, who also considered UCLA and Arizona State. “When I was a freshman in high school, I said I wanted to go there. But this year, I had a lot of other schools after me, so I said I would take a look at all of them. But in the end, I went where I thought I always wanted to go.”

UCLA, meanwhile, added standout lineman James Rae of Anaheim Esperanza, linebacker James Malone from Richardson, Tex., kicker Dominic Sandifer from North Hollywood Harvard and lineman Andre Farr from Richmond, Calif. Farr is a cousin of current Bruins Mike Farr and Mel Farr Jr.

UCLA did lose one player, however, as linebacker Chuck Robinson, having committed to the Bruins earlier, changed his mind and said he will attend Stanford.

Elsewhere in the Pacific 10 Conference, Oregon State landed linebacker Eric Davis from Santa Monica and defensive back/running back Doug Lewis from L.A. Verbum Dei, linebacker Chico Fraley from La Puente Bishop Amat committed to Washington and quarterback Mike Pawlawski from Fullerton Troy said he will play for California.

All-Southern Section offensive lineman Richard Garrick, from Bishop Amat, chose Air Force and is expecting to get his appointment Thursday.