FEELING FINEMichael Jackson of Santa Monica will...

FEELING FINE

Michael Jackson of Santa Monica will be back in uniform Friday night when the Vikings play Pasadena at 7:30 at Santa Monica College. That may come as a surprise to anyone who saw Jackson during the conclusion of Vikings’ 12-7 season-opening win over Beverly Hills.

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound tight end-linebacker, suffered a neck injury with 4 minutes 1 second left in the game. Jackson remained on the field for about 30 minutes before Los Angeles County paramedics carried him off on a stretcher.

Jackson said he temporarily lost feeling in his left arm and side.

“I couldn’t feel anything for about five minutes, and then it got better,” he said. “I could get up, but I didn’t. It wasn’t serious.”

Jackson was taken to St. John’s Hospital and Health Center where he underwent X-rays before he was released about 1:15 a.m. Saturday.

He suffered a cervical neck sprain, according to hospital official Gary Miereanu.

“They took precautionary X-rays and everything looked OK,” Miereanu said.

The Vikings, who finished 0-10 in 1992, held on without their standout player to make Danny Escalera a winner in his coaching debut. Jackson was told at the hospital about the Vikings’ win.

“The doctor told me on the X-ray table,” he said. “It felt good to win.”

Before he left the game, Jackson was instrumental in the Vikings’ first touchdown. His crunching block on the first play from scrimmage sent a Beverly Hills defender sprawling. The block enabled junior running back J’von Willis to get free for an 80-yard touchdown.

“Mike Jackson really helped us out with his blocking,” Escalera said.

Jackson did not expect to participate in contact drills until late this week.

“I’ll be back to full force Friday,” he said.

HE’S BACK

Seka Edwards had such an impressive 1992 season that Westchester Coach Larry Wein feared his senior quarterback would be lured away to a more prominent program. He can stop worrying. Edwards, the Coastal Conference player of the year, did not transfer.

“He is pretty loyal,” Wein said. “His bags were never packed.

“We joke about it all the time because there is so much movement with star players. What did Crenshaw (basketball program) have, nine or 10 transfers last season? I think it is a concern of coaches, but it shouldn’t be.”

In Friday’s 18-0 win against Monroe, Edwards passed for 160 yards and two touchdowns. This season, City teams were allowed to practice for only two weeks before the start of the season, one less than 1992.

The lack of preparation affected the Comets’ passing game, according to Wein.

“Our receivers had trouble running their routes and Seka was off delivering the ball.”

In addition to being a team leader on the football field, Edwards also is a college peer counselor at Westchester.

“He is an outstanding individual on and off the field,” Wein said.

TAKING NOTICE

Sometimes it takes more than a screaming coach to get the attention of players. For St. Monica, it took a 29-9 loss to Harvard-Westlake on Saturday.

“We got our wake-up call,” St. Monica Coach Norm Lacy said. “We were in the game for a long time until the final score.”

The Mariners’ hopes of success will depend on the rapid development of senior tailback Kenny Jackson, the basketball standout who decided to try his hand at football. Jackson rushed for 65 yards in his first game.

“We need to get him to midseason form by the second game of the season,” Lacy said.”

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Hamilton has been a site for several movies and television shows. Last season, the Yankees had to practice on the baseball diamond for a week because the football field was being used for a movie.

Two weeks ago, the television movie “Parent Trap” was shot at the school, but the Yankees did not have to give up their field. Hamilton Coach John Ausbon acknowledged it is inconvenient to move his team around, but he’s willing to do it for the good of the school.

“We’ll give up the field to make a few dollars,” Ausbon said.

Hamilton running back Rasheed Phillips gave a performance that will be hard to top in Friday’s 14-13 victory over Eagle Rock. Phillips, one of the top sprinters in the City, rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown in eight carries and caught two passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s one of the best running backs I’ve had at Hamilton,” Ausbon said. “He’s not as big as Anthony Dean, but he is faster.”

NO REST ON LABOR DAY

Enforcing team rules can difficult for a coach, especially when it involves standout players. Beverly Hills Coach Carter Paysinger, however, stuck to his principles when he benched two of his starting offensive linemen for Friday’s game against Santa Monica for missing a Labor Day practice.

“We set standards and we won’t compromise,” Paysinger said. “I think the team is more focused now.”

SCORING FORCE

Fairfax Coach Terrell Ray has a problem more common to basketball--one ball, two ballhandlers.

The ballhandlers are Myron Terry and Az-Zahir Hakim. The two play quarterback, receiver and defensive back. In last week’s 44-0 victory against Gardena, Hakim and Terry were responsible for five of the Lions’ six touchdowns.

Hakim scored on a 49-yard punt return, caught touchdown passes of 32 and eight yards, and passed for a four-yard score. Terry passed for four touchdowns. Both played defensive back and helped limit Gardena to 84 yards on 15 completions.

Terry started at quarterback and alternated with Hakim before being replaced in the fourth quarter after he was shaken up.

NO SNAP

Palisades’ new coach, Russ Howard, thought he was prepared for everything until he learned that his long snapper was ineligible three days before the season-opening game against Chatsworth.

Palisades had two bad snaps during punting situations and lost yardage. Chatsworth used the field advantage to score two touchdowns en route to a 23-0 win.

GOING THE DISTANCE

In Brentwood’s 23-20 victory over Pasadena Poly on Saturday, Eagle senior Matt Newmark ended the first half by kicking a 44-yard field goal, bettering his own school record set in 1992 by two yards.

“And he’s almost automatic from 40 and in,” Brentwood Coach Pat Brown said.

Newmark, who also returns punts and is the starting wide receiver, missed three extra points last year, but only after scoring a touchdown on the previous play.

“I think he just needed to catch his breath,” Brown said.

Newmark went out in the third quarter with a sore ankle. The extent of the injury won’t be known until late this week.

OUT OF ACTION

Murphy linebacker and offensive lineman Emanuel Faatagi passed out while standing on the sideline during the first quarter of Murphy’s 18-12 loss to Jefferson on Friday. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior, who was in class Monday, is scheduled for a cardiology examination this week and will be out of uniform until he receives a medical clearance.

Shoring up the line in Faatagi’s absence is a priority for Coach Greg Dixon.

“Our passing was fine, we just couldn’t get our running game going,” he said after the team passed for 201 yards but gained only 31 rushing.

The Nobles, who have won two consecutive Santa Fe League titles, play Serra on Friday. The Cavaliers lost their opener, 40-6, to Montclair Prep, the defending Division IV champions.

“I feel a lot better about this team than in previous seasons,” Dixon said. “Last year, our quarterback was an untested sophomore (Danny Ragsdale) and last week he had a great game.”

CLOSE DOESN’T COUNT

Hollywood had its share of problems on offense in a 16-0 loss to Los Angeles. The Shieks were inside the Romans’ 10-yard line eight times.

“We recovered four fumbles and had one blocked kick,” Coach Bob O’Connor said. “When that happens, it usually translates to points on the scoreboard. We just couldn’t move the ball.”

The defense has been bolstered by the return of senior linebacker Freddie Campos, who missed the opener because of personal reasons.

After scouting Venice in its game with Huntington Park, O’Connor had praise for Gondolier running back Larry Atkins.

“Venice has a great running back,” O’Connor said. “He just might be All-City. He’s probably the best back we’ll face all year. He’s not just big and fast but also shifty. He knows what to do when he has that ball.”

LIMPING ALONG

J’von Willis, who had an 80-yard touchdown run for Santa Monica on the first play from scrimmage, was only 80% effective because of an ankle injury suffered in practice two weeks ago, according to Coach Danny Escalera.

Playing linebacker, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound junior had four tackles and two sacks and forced the interception by teammate Payam Benyamini that was returned for the winning touchdown.

“That was a big day,” Escalera said.

ROOM FOR OPTIMISM

Despite a 42-12 loss to San Pedro, the defending City Section 3-A champions, first-year University Coach Marshall Jones was encouraged by his team’s play.

University did not score in its first six games of 1992, but on Friday scored on its first and second drives.

“The team took it as a sign confirming that we’ll be better,” he said. “We’re going to be OK.”

GETTING DEFENSIVE

Culver City Coach Robert Moore had a lot to be happy about in winning his debut. The fourth-quarter field goal that gave the Centaurs a 15-14 victory against St. Bernard concluded a six-minute, 96-yard drive.

“Being down by two at the time, I didn’t know how the team would adjust,” he said. “I know now. It was pretty exciting.”

And the Centaur defense did not allow a score. Senior linebacker Stephan Mercier had five sacks and forced three fumbles. Senior downside tackle Jeff Hiseroot also had four sacks.

IN QUOTES

Coach Larry Wein on Westchester’s 19-0 victory against Monroe: “I learned long ago there is no such thing as a bad win. When I was a young coach, I used to think differently. Now, I’m just happy to get them.”

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Santa Monica College earned a spot in the record books in its season opener against Saddleback. But it’s not how Santa Monica Coach Owen Hahn would have preferred.

Saddleback, the defending national champion, defeated the Corsairs, 37-7, Saturday. Saddleback Coach Ken Swearingen earned his 242nd career victory to become the winningest community college football coach.

“I feel like Al Downing,” said Hahn, referring to the Dodger pitcher who gave up the 715th home run to Henry Aaron.

Santa Monica and West L.A. are off this week.