Southern Section to Probe Welch, Canyon : Prep football: Investigation of alleged illegal practices comes amid calls for harsh punishment from opposing coaches.

The Southern Section will investigate the Canyon High football program on charges that Coach Harry Welch broke rules by conducting an off-season practice earlier this month, Commissioner Stan Thomas said Wednesday.

A photograph in the May 19 issue of the Newhall Signal shows a Canyon football player in shorts hitting a blocking dummy with several teammates and assistant coach Brian Stiman watching. The photograph was taken after school May 7.

Southern Section rules state that football teams cannot practice for longer than one class period a day from the end of the season until May 20, and that “sleds, blocking dummies and other ‘football’ equipment are expressly prohibited.”

Canyon Principal Bill White admonished Welch, telling him to “cease and desist” with the illegal practices after the photograph was published.

Official spring football practice began May 20, however, making after-school workouts permissible until the end of the school year.

Last year, White had warned Welch about similar rules violations involving the use of footballs during after-school workouts.

Thomas said that he was made aware of the recent violation Tuesday when he obtained a copy of the article and accompanying photograph.

“It’s too premature to make any judgments, but this picture is pretty damaging,” Thomas said. “This picture solves any questions of, ‘What if?’ Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Thomas emphasized that he would not view the violation as minor.

“For similar violations, and this is a very generic statement, the general custom is to sit the guy down for a year,” Thomas said. “This is a violation and we are going to dig into it.”

Welch described the Southern Section rule as a fair one and said that the use of football equipment after school should be prohibited. He emphasized that the photograph depicted a “one-shot deal” and that such a violation would never occur again.

“It’s a valid rule,” Welch said. “Using sleds, pads and running (pass) routes is inappropriate and should be a violation.”

Area coaches whose teams compete against Canyon expressed anger over the incident and called for harsher punishments against Welch. Hart High Coach Mike Herrington, whose team is Canyon’s chief rival, was incensed. He said that he is considering excluding Canyon this summer from a Santa Clarita Valley passing league sponsored by Hart.

“With something like this, I don’t even want to associate with the guy outside of our (regular-season) game,” Herrington said. “Our relationship is down the tubes as far as I’m concerned.”

Herrington said that he is puzzled by the lack of disciplinary action taken by Canyon against violations that he says have gone on for years. Herrington said that he has complained to his administration about the lack of firm punishment handed out to Welch. Canyon and Hart are both members of the William S. Hart Union High School District.

“I see them working on technique, throwing balls, and it’s frustrating,” he said. “You’re working with kids that age and trying to build character and set morals for them to strive for and you see someone across the (Santa Clarita) Valley not following the rules and still being successful. It doesn’t say much for trying to do things the right way.”

Welch admitted that his sixth-period physical education class for football players sometimes extends beyond 3 p.m. But Welch denied using footballs past that time and said that his after-school workouts violate no rules.

“Are we out there running, lifting weights and jumping rope after 3 p.m.? Absolutely,” Welch said. “Are we using footballs after that time? Absolutely not.”

Welch’s colleagues in the Golden League hailed the Southern Section investigation as long overdue.

“What’s new?” Antelope Valley Coach Brent Newcomb said when apprised of the charges. “He’s been doing it for years. Maybe we should give him a couple of more periods off during school, then he wouldn’t have to practice into the night.”

Newcomb was referring sarcastically to Welch’s request last fall for a lighter teaching load. Welch announced his retirement in September, then changed his mind after the school altered his teaching schedule.

Quartz Hill Coach John Albee, whose team handed Canyon its first league loss at home in Welch’s nine-year tenure last season, also lashed out at the Cowboys’ coach of nine years.

“Coaches have a responsibility to follow those rules,” Albee said. “But he’s putting other Golden League coaches at a disadvantage. He’s done it before too. He’s cheating my kids at Quartz Hill High School and I think it’s unfair.”

Jack Bowman, who coached in Orange County before landing the coaching job at Saugus in March, said that Welch has been unfairly targeted because of his success. Welch has a 100-19-1 record and his teams have won three Southern Section titles.

“Harry Welch is a fine football coach and he’s going to come under more scrutiny than (a coach at) an unsuccessful program,” Bowman said. “When I was in Orange County, Edison High was taking the same kind of stuff for their success. The same thing happens at Fontana. Any successful person is going to be open to attack.”

Still, Canyon’s opponents will watch closely the Southern Section investigation.

Said Herrington: “I know what we’re doing over here at Hart, and if we don’t win a championship and they do, at least I know our program is run correctly.”