PREP ALL-STAR FOOTBALL GAME : He Prefers to Hit ‘Em With His Best Shot : Ron Papazian: Linebacker from Whittier Christian hopes to channel his energy while playing for the North team.

Shortly before kickoff of the Orange County high school all-star football game tonight, Ron Papazian will pull a set of stereo headphones over his ears, crank up the heavy-metal sound of Metallica and let the negative thoughts run wild.

It has become a pregame ritual for the Whittier Christian linebacker/running back, who will finish a record-setting prep career at 7:30 tonight at LeBard Stadium in Costa Mesa.

“I sit there and think about how hard I’m going to hit someone,” said Papazian, who will start at inside linebacker for the North. “I think about all the negative things that have happened.

“I love watching films of Dick Butkus before a game. He’s incredible. The way he plays, it’s like he’s (angry) 24 hours a day.”

Papazian is driven by similar instincts. He thrives on contact. Hard contact.

He was a member of Whittier Christian’s wrestling team for two years and now dabbles in kick boxing.

And the best part of football?

“You get to inflict some pain,” he said.

For the past three years, Whittier Christian Coach Phil Bravo has channeled Papazian’s energy into winning football. Papazian broke the county’s single-season touchdown record last fall with 35.

“I’ve never had a player like this before,” Bravo said. “He and I are very, very close. He’s a very sensitive young man. You look into his eyes and you see a young, innocent boy about to become a man.”

But you also see a young man who has been arrested for stealing Halloween candy, has handled himself in a fight or two and has admitted he’s disappointed with his attitude.

His only fear: That his colorful, sometimes troubled, past will haunt him this fall when he plays at the University of the Pacific.

“I’m very self-conscious,” Papazian said. “I don’t want to be remembered as a pain-in-the-ass kid.”

It’s a reputation Papazian said he sometimes deserves. While growing up in La Habra, he found joy in throwing mud balls, pulling pigtails and other obnoxious behavior.

“I was always giving people a hard time, especially my teachers,” he said. “I brought home letters to my parents all the time. They said, ‘Control your son. He needs to settle down. He talks too much.’ ”

His mischievous attitude also has landed him in trouble.

Last season, he and a friend were arrested at school, the day before a game, for stealing bags of Halloween candy from two teen-age girls.

Papazian, 18, was pulled from class, frisked and handcuffed as his fellow students watched. He and his friend left in a police car and were later released. Charges were never filed.

“It was one of those stupid, spur-of-the-moment things,” Papazian said. “It’s over and done with. It was blown out of proportion and everyone got all (upset). They made a big deal with us at school. They wanted to make an example out of us.”

Bravo said Papazian is singled out because he plays football.

“The little things he does on campus are magnified,” Bravo said. “He’s hard on himself to those degrees.”

Papazian said he tries to avoid confrontations, but his kick boxing, which was inspired by the movie “Bloodsport,” has come in handy at times. A month ago, he and some friends were cornered by a gang at a local hamburger joint.

“We were just innocent bystanders and this gang came up and started pounding on my friend,” Papazian said. “I jumped in and tried a couple of kicks. I sent them all flying. I scare myself, sometimes, with what I can do.”

Gangs are common in this area, a fact Papazian painfully acknowledges.

“I never felt it to be a temptation,” Papazian said. “It’s a no-win situation. Something always goes wrong. A lot of guys use it as a scapegoat for their troubles at home. It’s a cover-up.”

But Papazian said his family has steered him away from such problems. His father, Ron Sr., kept him out of football until the seventh grade “so I could build up my legs.” His mother, Maxine, constantly had to remind him how close he was to breaking the county touchdown record. His sisters, Kim, a model, and Lisa, a volleyball player at Fullerton College, got him interested in karate when he was 9.

Papazian said the discipline of martial arts and hours in the weight room have helped him with football. He started lifting weights seriously about four years ago and has beefed up to a solid 6-feet-2, 210 pounds. He bench presses 335 pounds, squats 440 and dead lifts 455.

“I was always fascinated by the big bodybuilders,” he said. “I hooked up with my cousin and he taught me the right technique, what to eat. He had lifted for the last three or four years.

“It’s interesting to see what people will do to make themselves bigger. Some will try anything.”

Steroids, you mean?

“Yes,” Papazian said. “I’ve been offered steroids, but I’ve always had a scary feeling about them. I have strong family genes and I don’t feel I need steroids. My dad told me if he found out I was using them, he’d make me quit football.

“Steroids are all over. They’re in the gyms and on the street. Everyone is steroid-crazy, instead of just working hard to get bigger.”

Although he drew most of the attention as a record-breaking player on offense, Papazian says his future is at linebacker.

Papazian started at linebacker as a sophomore and at both fullback and linebacker the next two years.

Whittier Christian was 22-3 and won consecutive Olympic League championships during Papazian’s junior and senior years. He was the fifth-leading rusher in the county last season with 1,237 yards in 187 carries and led his team in tackles for three years.

The Pacific coaches have told Papazian he will practice at both positions this fall. But Papazian said he would rather hit than be hit.

“It takes a certain type of person to play linebacker,” Papazian said. “You have to love to hit, no matter how big or small the tailback or lineman is. You have to knock them back into the hole.

“I always considered myself kind of quiet. I’m shy around people who don’t know me. But that all changes on the football field. Everything comes into play. I would get so mad after school, when I went to practice, I had to hit someone.”

Said Bravo: “Show me a linebacker who’s not aggressive, and he’s probably not a very good linebacker.”

Bravo and Papazian became close during Papazian’s freshman year. They were driving back from a wrestling tournament in Atascadero and spent the ride discussing Papazian’s goals.

“We talked about what he wanted in his future,” Bravo said. “At that point, I knew he would be spectacular.

“He set his goals and started working toward them, and I think that’s why he has a future in the NFL. The only aspect that could stop him would be the stress of college and academics.”

Papazian chose Pacific over Washington, USC, UCLA, Washington State, Oregon and Nebraska.

“USC and UCLA played games with me (during recruiting),” Papazian said. “They said my SAT scores, which were 980, weren’t high enough. Then they said my grade-point average (3.1) wasn’t high enough.

“Pacific coaches always sent me literature. I love the coaching staff there. It’s a smaller school and I’ll get to play a lot more.”

The value of a college education has been on Papazian’s mind a lot lately. He plans to study business, attend classes regularly and get his work done.

But his attitude on the football field will remain the same.

“Watching the (game) films, I wish I would’ve played harder,” Papazian said of his high school career. “I was lazy at times. I could’ve done better. I’m going to college with that mentality. I have to do better.

“But I don’t regret my season. I don’t regret any of it.”

No. Name Hgt. Wgt. Pos. School SOUTH: STARTING OFFENSE 16 Dan O’Neil 6-2 185 QB Mater Dei 41 Kealii Clifford 5-11 195 RB Mater Dei 44 Vince Taunauu 6-3 230 FB Westminster 85 Jeff Jackson 6-4 225 TE Corona del Mar 21 Rick Sparks 5-11 175 WR Trabuco Hills 2 Doug Cunningham 6-2 195 WR Huntington Beach 73 Che Brooks 6-3 245 OL Tustin 51 Scott Wohrman 6-4 255 OL Fountain Valley 66 Dave Cuttrell 6-5 250 OL El Toro 56 Joel Patterson 6-2 245 OL Newport Harbor 69 Lawson Mollica 6-4 260 OL Edison SOUTH: STARTING DEFENSE 63 Oscar Wilson 6-3 245 DE Santa Ana 76 Mark Slymen 6-4 245 DE Mission Viejo 67 Damon Psaros 6-1 215 DL Capistrano Valley 72 Isaac Alo 6-3 245 DL Santa Ana Valley 35 Jason Hairston 6-3 225 LB Foothill 55 Dan Petrone 5-10 205 LB Estancia 57 David McLeod 6-0 220 LB Marina 84 Gary Gibson 6-3 215 LB Woodbridge 3 Mike Miller 5-9 160 DB El Toro 25 Scott Seymour 6-0 180 RB Woodbridge 45 Warren Johnson 6-2 180 DB Corona del Mar SOUTH: SUBSTITUTES 10 Trent Julian 6-2 191 DB La Quinta 11 Steve Stenstrom 6-2 195 QB El Toro 13 Matt Logan 6-2 190 K La Quinta 15 Donnie Smith 5-11 177 QB Edison 20 Brian Lucas 5-10 180 RB Corona del Mar 24 David Morris 6-2 195 DB Saddleback 26 Scott Caringella 5-10 170 DB Ocean View 30 Josh Wojtkiewicz 5-10 180 RB Estancia 47 Chris Wild 6-3 240 LB Mission Viejo 52 Herb Prawl 6-0 230 OL Santa Ana 58 Chris Tarnowski 6-3 225 OL Capistrano Valley 86 Trent Wood 6-0 180 WR Bolsa Grande 88 Brian Higgins 6-1 205 TE Edison 89 Andy Marrone 6-3 200 LB Dana Hills

Coach: Dave White, Edison

No. Name Hgt. Wgt. Pos. School NORTH: STARTING OFFENSE 1 Todd Gragnano 6-2 195 QB Los Alamitos 22 Erik Mitchell 5-10 165 RB Los Alamitos 40 Paul Minor 6-1 235 FB Orange 45 Graham Brown 6-2 200 TE El Modena 81 Chad Millan 6-1 181 WR Los Alamitos 10 Chris Shockley 5-9 178 FL Pacifica 51 Jason Garrido 6-2 230 OL Los Alamitos 58 Jose Salazar 5-11 210 OL Servite 64 Pat Marshall 6-1 230 OL Sunny Hills 66 Brenden Stai 6-5 260 OL Esperanza 71 Tom Cowen 6-5 245 OL Western NORTH: STARTING DEFENSE 50 Robert Southern 6-2 220 DE Western 75 Mike Bass 5-10 200 DE Villa Park 77 Dan Ledieff 6-4 250 DL La Habra 99 Keith Navidi 6-6 260 DL Esperanza 54 Scott Strini 6-2 218 LB Orange 55 Adam Petecki 6-3 235 LB Troy 95 Ron Papazian 6-2 210 LB Whittier Christian 3 Rene Arias 5-11 173 DB Fullerton 9 Brian Pizula 5-11 195 DB Sunny Hills 11 Chad Marlow 5-11 175 DB Brea-Olinda 33 Eldon Davis 6-2 190 DB Troy NORTH: SUBSTITUTES 2 Gary Bladow 6-2 180 DB Villa Park 5 David Knorr 5-11 145 K Orange 18 Gregg Campbell 6-4 190 DB Orange 21 Mark Flatten 6-2 165 DB Pacifica 32 Malcolm King 5-10 160 WR Buena Park 34 Coy Collins 5-8 155 RB Loara 44 Jeff Besinaiz 5-10 200 FB La Habra 49 Scott Weinman 6-1 200 TE Valencia 72 Darren Correll 6-2 260 OL Sunny Hills 78 Tim Rapp 6-6 265 OL Katella 80 Joe Squyres 6-4 185 WR Garden Grove 86 Mark Kinney 6-3 230 DE Esperanza 87 Sean Gibson 6-1 185 TE Cypress

Coach: Tom Meiss, Orange