LONG BEACH, Calif. - A star high school football player with a college scholarship faces a murder charge related to the killing of a 17-year-old boy, officials said.

Jurray Casey, an 18-year-old defensive end and linebacker for Long Beach Polytechnic High School, pleaded not guilty last week to a murder charge in connection with the Jan. 8 slaying of Rashad Ali, police said.

The shooting occurred after Casey and three others drove away from a party in Culver City where fights had broken out, said Casey's mother, Collette Burns. She said her son did not know there was a gun in the car and had nothing to do with the shooting.

“Jurray is a very sweet, respectful young man to all people,” Burns said. “My baby has too much going for him to throw away his scholarship out in the streets.”

Authorities would not say what role they believe the 6-foot, 2-inch, 210-pound Casey played in the shooting.

He and a co-defendant, Donovan Norvelle Halcomb, 17, remain in custody, said Sandi Gibbons, a district attorney's office spokeswoman.

Casey was a 2005 All-CIF Southern Section first-team selection and the Moore League co-Defensive Player of the Year.

He verbally accepted a scholarship offer to the University of Oregon, according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram and several Web sites that track college sports recruiting.

“Jurray was always a good, decent human being on our campus,” said Shawn Ashley, Poly High's co-principal. “When he's cleared of these charges, he will be welcome to return.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31 at the Airport Courthouse.