HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW : From Torts to Touchdowns--Welch Prepares

Not all Golden League football coaches have exactly been wild about Harry this summer. The high-profile coach of Canyon High appeared in local newspapers at least once a week, it seemed, waging a tooth-and-nail battle with the Southern Section to stave off a 5 1/2-month suspension.

To the league’s coaches, Harry Welch was a more prevalent part of their July and August than passing-league games and barbecues.

Some coach rooted for Welch to beat the rap. Others rooted for Welch to take the rap.

Welch landed on his feet, winning an injunction that allows him to coach this season.

And now, with the portfolioed battles of summer giving way to the helmeted battles of fall, the question looms: Who has the edge?

Will Harry Welch’s summer of discontent be turned into a glorious autumn as Canyon seizes back a Golden League championship from upstart Quartz Hill? Will Welch’s always well-prepared and intense Cowboys be even more so with an us-against-the-world mentality?

Or will rival Golden League coaches, upset by Welch’s judicial vindication, field teams with extra motivation to upend the Cowboys?

It promises to be an intriguing Golden League season. Welch, for one, heads into this year knowing that when his team hits the road, the ambience surrounding its arrival will be less than cordial.

“I know that a lot of people are going to harass us,” Welch said. “And ill-informed people are going to be out of control. I anticipate a few unfortunate incidents.”

Emotions might play the largest role on Oct. 18, the first week of the Golden League season when Canyon travels to Quartz Hill. Last year, the Rebels came to Canyon Country and handed the Cowboys a 12-6 loss. It was the first home league defeat in Welch’s nine-year tenure.

That loss was particularly galling to Welch and his players, made even more so when Canyon came one game short of a shot at revenge in the Division I final. But Loyola defeated Canyon, 10-3, in the semifinals and beat Quartz Hill in the Division I championship at Anaheim Stadium, 24-14.

This year, the Rebels figure to be as strong as last year’s team and stand as good a chance at handing Canyon another rare Golden League loss. In Welch’s nine years, the Cowboys are 43-2 in league play.

Earlier this summer, Quartz Hill Coach John Albee, among others, had said that he was aware of alleged illegal practices being held at Canyon High throughout Welch’s tenure. That belief, combined with last year’s win over Canyon, figure to make a combustible brew come game time on Oct. 18.

“It’s great talk for the summer,” Albee said, taking a break from two-a-day practices last week. “My players kept up on the whole Harry Welch situation too.”

Albee knows that last year’s loss is the thing Canyon really wants to avenge.

“We know Harry Welch is a great coach and he has good players playing for him and I’m going to coach against him no matter what the courts say,” Albee said.

“Last year we beat them and this year they’re going to think we’re the best team they’ve ever faced. And Harry is going to try and do the best coaching job he’s ever done. And it’s going to be great.”

Antelope Valley Coach Brent Newcomb, whose team figures to be, along with Quartz Hill and Canyon, vying for the league championship, was another who said that he was cognizant of alleged infractions under Welch. When the Southern Section recommended a 5 1/2-month suspension, however, Newcomb said that he felt the penalty was too harsh.

Newcomb is the only other man to coach a team that defeated Welch in Golden League play, the celebrated victory in 1986 that broke Canyon’s 46-game win streak. He anticipates emotions to run slightly higher this year, in light of the dogged days of summer.

“A lot of coaches are burned up (that Welch escaped penalty),” Newcomb said. “We all know it’s been going on down there for a number of years. He can talk about that one incident over and over, but he can’t say anything about the 899 other times.”

Newcomb, however, tipped his hat to Welch and the Canyon program. That’s the funny thing about Canyon. The football program seems to bring out ambivalence in rival coaches.

“You can’t fault those guys for working hard,” Newcomb said. “I think all coaches would like to be able to do what Harry does. And I think their kids will be fired up to get the Golden League championship back.”

Newcomb paused and added, “But there’s always Antelope Valley and Quartz Hill.”

Welch knows all about that. He officially states that he picks his team for third place in the league, behind Quartz Hill and Antelope Valley. And he knows what other people are saying about him and his program.

“When you have people who have made some irresponsible comments, I think that leads to some ominous forebodings,” Welch said. “I’m hurting right now and the summer has taken its toll. I really do believe that it’s been the summer from hell.”

One question remains: Will Canyon be stronger for all the turmoil it has endured?

Welch shows signs that he is ready for vengeance.

“I don’t like to address the team (about what other coaches have said) at one time,” Welch said. “I like to feed them bits and pieces over a long period of time.”

It sounds as if Canyon is up to the challenge.

Said Newcomb: “They’re the team you’ve got to beat. And that hasn’t changed any.”

GOLDEN LEAGUE

FINAL 1990 STANDINGS PROJECTED FINISH Quartz Hill 11-3, 5-0 Quartz Hill Canyon 11-2, 4-1 Canyon Palmdale 4-7, 3-2 Antelope Valley Burroughs (R) 3-7, 1-4 Saugus Antelope Valley 2-8, 1-4 Palmdale Saugus 2-8, 1-4 Burroughs (R)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Player School Pos. Ht Wt Yr Randy Clemons Quartz Hill OL 6-4 265 Sr. David Doyle Saugus RB/DB 5-11 180 Sr. Freddie Edwards Antelope Valley RB/S 6-1 172 Sr. Mike Fossati Antelope Valley WR/DB 6-0 175 Sr. Ralph Gutierrez Quartz Hill DL/FB 6-3 222 Sr. Jake Haro Quartz Hill QB 5-9 165 Sr. Chuck Osborne Canyon DL 6-3 240 Sr. Tervell Spears Palmdale RB 5-11 190 Sr. Erik Thomas Quartz Hill RB 5-10 185 Sr. Jim Zopelis Canyon WR/DB 5-9 165 Sr.