NOTEBOOK / SEAN WATERS : Knee Injury Sidelines Former Santa Monica High Football Standout

Former Santa Monica High receiver Michael Jackson tore ligaments in his right knee during a July 20 practice for the 43rd annual California Shrine All-Star Football Classic.

Jackson, who was among 64 of the state’s best recently graduated high school players selected to play in the game, underwent surgery July 27 and is expected to be sidelined seven to eight months. Jackson, who will attend Washington State on a scholarship, is expected to apply for a redshirt freshman season.

“I was doing a (pass) pattern when the quarterback threw the ball short,” Jackson said. “I came back to try and catch it. I turned quickly and my cleats got caught in the grass.”

As a senior, Jackson caught 30 passes for 563 yards and four touchdowns and rushed 25 times for 461 yards.

“I’ll be back,” Jackson said.

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Santa Monica High is looking for girls’ basketball and girls’ swimming coaches.

Heidi Overseer, who was the Viking girls’ basketball coach, resigned to become coach at Chadwick. Teri Mueller, the girls’ swimming coach, went to China on a two-year sabbatical.

Interested candidates should contact Santa Monica Athletic Director Frank Nishimura at (310) 395-3204.

Nishimura also announced that the school is trying to reinstate its freshmen-sophomore baseball program.

“The key problem is always money,” Nishimura said about the program, which was dropped in 1990. “We have only one or two underclassmen on a junior varsity team and the whole baseball program is suffering because of it.”

The school is planning several fund-raisers in an attempt to reinstate the program.

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Although the Santa Monica College baseball team program was recently eliminated, six Corsairs received scholarships to four-year schools.

The players are pitcher Chris Brennan (Cal State Sacramento), pitcher Tony Palka (Cal State Dominguez Hills), outfielders Martin Schmidt and Mark Walker (San Francisco State), pitcher Dean Davidson and shortstop Dylan Sugar (Texas Pan American).

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The Torrance United Waves, a 19-and-under girls’ soccer team, competed in the U.S. Youth National Championship last week in Blaine, Minn.

The Waves, who won the Far West region, beat Houston, 3-0, Friday in the semifinals. In Sunday’s championship, the Waves lost to Boston, 6-2.

Senior Courtney Little of Marymount and fullback Ann O’Brien of Brentwood played for the Waves. O’Brien will attend Yale in the fall.

The 14th annual Western State Golf Assn. junior championship is scheduled for Aug. 11-12. Competitions will be at three courses: Jesse Owens (ages 7-10); Westchester (11-12) and Chester Washington (13 and older).

Information: (310) 379-7347.