Preps Show Their Stuff : Football: At the Reebok Preseason Combine, next season’s senior players are put through their paces in front of coaches and scouts from top college programs.

Coaches and scouts from some of the nation’s top college football programs got a glimpse of the future recently at El Camino College. And they liked much of what they saw.

More than 750 high school football players from as far away as Hawaii and Texas gathered at Murdock Stadium May 20 for the third annual Reebok Preseason Combine.

Next season’s high school seniors showed their stuff in drills such as the 40-yard dash, the 20-yard shuttle, vertical jump, and bench press in front of coaches from Missouri, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Michigan, SMU, Fresno State and others.

Skill players and linemen went through one-on-one drills including running pass routes against a defender and pass rushing and blocking skills.

The participants took advantage of coaching tips from San Diego Chargers special teams captain Steve Hendrickson and former New England Patriots quarterback Tony Eason, along with former high school coaches Gene Vollnogle (Carson) Bob Johnson (El Toro) and college stars Keyshawn Johnson of USC and J.J. Stokes of UCLA.

Players and parents also were invited to an information session about NCAA admissions and rules and the recruiting process.

The event was sponsored by Reebok and produced by Student Sports Magazine.

The central city was represented by more than 60 college-hopeful gridders, including Anthony White of Los Angeles High School. The Romans’ star, who hauled in 53 passes for 747 yards and scored five touchdowns last season, carries a 3.0 grade-point-average and plans to take the SAT on June 3 along with his brother and fellow Roman star Travon Kitchen.

“It was a learning process and a chance to show my skills against some of the best,” said White, a first-team City Times All-Star selection. Arlin Slayton, All-City and second-team City Times All-Star running back of Wilson High School (who rushed for 1,480 yards and scored 17 touchdowns last season) was impressed with the combine.

Fremont quarterback Robert Loera (who completed 80 of 155 pass attempts for 1,404 yards and 14 touchdowns last season) had a typical quarterback’s reaction when he stated that the combine “had some good athletes, but they were not catching the ball.”

A number of other central city stars made a good showing:

* First-team City Times All-Star Verbum Dei linebacker Jason Steen drew praise after recording a 4.81 40-yard dash.

* Dorsey’s Na’il Diggs showed the coaches and scouts he is a linebacker with defensive back speed by doing a 4.85 in the 40-yard dash.

* Washington’s Leroy Joseph benched 185 pounds 32 times to impress the observers.

* Fremont’s Joseph Godbolt, 6-4, 315 pounds, “graded out as the best offensive lineman” according to the Chargers’ Hendrickson.

Also impressive was second-team City Times All-Star receiver Dennis Northcutt, who showed quickness in the one-on-one passing drills, “constantly gaining separation from his defender,” according to a notation from one scout.

Overall winners:

* 40-yard dash: Inglewood’s Tarirou Smith, 4.49; Westchester’s Jason Small, 4.52.

* Bench press: South Bakersfield’s Favian Galvan and Norte Viste’s (Riverside) Henry Hernandez tied, each doing 34 repetitions. with a 185-pound barbell; Washington’s Joseph finished third at 32 reps.

* 20-yard shuttle was won by Joe Harris of Long Beach Poly followed by Hawthorne’s Senteina Latu 4.07 seconds and Damien’s David Berch at 4.08 seconds.

Results for the vertical jump were unavailable.

The combine can give an athlete recognition he might not otherwise get. Last year, Locke running back Sirr Parker opened eyes with a 4.35 mark in the 40, starting a recruiting battle that ended with Parker signing with Texas A&M.;