Grant Pearsall of Villa Park, one of...

Grant Pearsall of Villa Park, one of the most highly recruited defensive backs in the county, said he has made an oral commitment to USC.

Pearsall, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior, chose the Trojans over Arizona State, Oregon and UCLA.

“It was a tough decision,” Pearsall said. “(USC Coach) John Robinson has won a national championship before and that’s always been a dream of mine.”

Pearsall, who earned Times all-county first-team, Southern Section Division IV and Century League MVP honors, rushed for 1,551 yards and scored 23 touchdowns--five on kick returns.

Pearsall will play safety and also return kicks for the Trojans, said his father, Jim.

“John Robinson is a nice man,” Jim said. “He came in early and offered Grant a scholarship early, and how can you forget that?”

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Three other Times all-county football players--Foothill’s Chris Hoke, Fountain Valley’s Ken Foersch, and Huntington Beach’s Nick Ziegler--also have made oral commitments.

Hoke, a 6-3, 260-pound defensive tackle, chose Brigham Young. Foothill Coach Tom Meiss made the announcement at the team’s banquet Sunday. Hoke earnedfirst-team all-county and Century League defensive player of the year honors.

Foersch, a 6-4, 255-pound first-team all-county selection, made a commitment to Fresno State after a visit to the campus last weekend, he said.

“I went up there with a list of things and Fresno had nothing negative,” Foersch said. “The students are really gung-ho.”

Foersch helped the Barons reach the Southern Section Division II semifinals, where they lost to eventual champion Los Alamitos.

Ziegler, a second-team all-county defensive lineman, will attend Colorado. Ziegler led Huntington Beach in sacks and the Oilers reached the Southern Section final for the first time since 1935. Ziegler, 6-feet-5 and 223 pounds, also is a standout for the Oilers’ volleyball team.