Charles Hoping to Score Again : Recruiting: Colleges await Hart tailback’s latest SAT result before making offers.

Stopping Deriek Charles on a football field is an unenviable assignment.

Charles, The Times’ Valley back of the year, often escapes the clutches of would-be tacklers with nifty cutback moves. Others simply find themselves grasping at air.

Off the field, however, the versatile Hart High tailback has been slowed by an opponent he has yet to outmaneuver: the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

Today is the first day high school football players can sign with NCAA Division I schools, but Charles finds himself without a scholarship offer because he has failed to meet the NCAA-minimum SAT score of 700.

“It has been difficult,” Charles said. “I have kind of put a lot of pressure on myself. It has been kind of strenuous.”

Charles, who is being recruited by Washington State and Nevada, and I-AA member Weber State, scored 650 when he first took the test in November. He took it again on Jan. 23 and believes he earned a qualifying score.

Charles expects to receive the results next week. The schools are waiting to see how he fares before making scholarship offers.

“I really think I got it this time--it seemed a lot easier,” Charles said. “I’ve studied the (SAT preparatory texts), and I’m pretty sure they helped.”

Although Charles is confident he performed well on his most recent SAT, he is scheduled to take the American College Test on Saturday. A minimum score of 18 is required on the ACT.

“I’m just doing it to be safe,” Charles said. “I just want to cover myself.”

Charles rushed for 1,133 yards, caught 44 passes for 757 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. He led area Southern Section players in average yards per carry (10.9).

He was the co-MVP of the Foothill League and was selected to the All-Southern Section Division II team and named All-State by Cal-Hi Sports.

Saugus Coach Jack Bowman said Charles is the best back he has seen since Russell White at Crespi.

Said Canyon Coach Harry Welch: “The kid can just flat-out play.”

Cal State Northridge is not expected to sign any high school players until mid-February. Budget restrictions keep CSUN from offering more than partial scholarships, so Coach Bob Burt is hoping to sign players who have been overlooked by Division I-A and I-AA staffs.

Burt, whose team makes its I-AA debut Sept. 4 at San Diego State, expects to sign at least six high school players before the end of the month. He is also continuing to recruit junior college players. Last month, Burt signed seven players from two-year schools.

Valley-Area High School Football Players Bound for Division I Schools

Player High School Pos Ht Wt College Eric Bennett Simi Valley QB 6-1 180 Nevada Eric Benson Thousand Oaks OL 6-3 266 Fresno State George Brazil Sylmar LB 6-3 225 Nevada Larry Bumpus Oxnard QB 6-0 185 Oregon State Fahali Campbell Camarillo RB 5-11 175 Oregon State Al Corney Palmdale WR 6-3 190 Colorado State Jaiya Figueras Glendale DB 6-2 205 Oregon Raymond Gacasan St. Bonaventure OL 6-4 260 Army Quincy Jacobs Thousand Oaks RB 5-10 170 Stanford Anthony Murray Sylmar LB 6-2 215 Oregon State Jeff Nadeau Monroe WR 6-0 175 Arizona Tyrone Pierce Sylmar LB 6-3 230 UCLA Tarik Smith Oak Park RB 5-10 190 California Bach Stabile Crespi K 6-1 160 Hawaii Shawn Stuart Saugus OL 6-4 280 UCLA Derek Swafford Ventura RB 5-11 175 Northwestern Eliel Swinton Montclair Prep RB 5-10 185 Stanford Nathan Thompson Hart OL 6-6 260 Nevada Terrence Zenno Palmdale QB 6-2 185 Colorado State