Austin, Nelson and Welch Are Honored at Times High School Football Ceremony

Randy Austin, M. J. Nelson and Harry Welch were the major award winners from the Valley area at The Times’ annual high school football awards brunch Sunday at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel.

Austin, a four-position player who usually played linebacker at Canyon High, was honored as Lineman of the Year.

The 6-3, 210-pound senior played in only one losing game in his three years as a varsity starter for the Cowboys and played a key role in the team’s 38-game win streak.

Canyon’s defense allowed an average of only four points a game this season and the team won its third straight Northwestern Conference championship with a 14-0 record.

“Randy Austin is going to be a better college player than a high school player,” Welch, the Canyon coach, said. “If he continues to improve and continues the desire to be a good football player, he will be an outstanding major-college player.”

Nelson was named Back of the Year after leading Simi Valley to its first playoff since 1978. The Pioneers also shared the Marmonte League title with Thousand Oaks, the first time they have finished first in a league since 1962.

Nelson, the Marmonte League’s most valuable player, rushed for 1,028 yards and six touchdowns. He also intercepted six passes, returning two for scores.

Welch was named Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons. Welch has won 49 and lost 5 as the varsity coach at Canyon in four seasons.

Welch coached the Canyon sophomore team to a 9-1 record in 1971. In 1980, he led a Cowboy sophomore team to a 10-0 mark. His overall record at Canyon is 68-6.

Times’ All-Valley

Players, Coaches of Year

The Times has been selecting a high school football Lineman, Back and Coach of the Year in the Valley area for 25 years. Here are the past Valley area winners:

Linemen of Year

1961--John Cicuto (Notre Dame). 1962--Marv Adamo (Birmingham). 1963--Marv Adamo (Birmingham). 1964--Steve Ponder (Monroe). 1965--Kim Griffith (Taft). 1966--Mike Saade (Polytechnic). 1967--Allan Graf (San Fernando). 1968--Tom Lee (Canoga Park). 1969--Bill Kramer (Polytechnic).

1970--Augie Martinez (San Fernando). 1971--Dennis Shaw (Monroe). 1972--Larry La Berge (Cleveland). 1973--Brian Wood (North Hollywood). 1974--Ron Woolard (Burroughs of Burbank). 1975--John Kulusich (Chatsworth). 1976--Bobby Gallegos (Canoga Park). 1977--Rich Gray (El Camino Real). 1978--Jim McKee (North Hollywood). 1979--Dennis Ray (Chatsworth).

1980--Terry O’Hara (Crespi). 1981--Jeff Bregel (Kennedy). 1982--Craig Slavin (Westlake). 1983--Robert Owens (Canyon). 1984--Brent Parkinson (Canyon). 1985--Randy Austin (Canyon).

Backs of Year

1961--Darrel Hoover (Polytechnic). 1962--Dudley Schusterick (Birmingham). 1963--Jon Huss (Van Nuys). 1964--Rick Purdy (Van Nuys). 1965--Tom Griffin (Grant). 1966--Bob Preston (Monroe). 1967--Tim Foli (Notre Dame). 1968--Manfred Moore (San Fernando). 1969--Anthony Davis (San Fernando).

1970--Anthony Davis (San Fernando) and Dana Potter (Granada Hills). 1971--Guy Benjamin Jr. (Monroe). 1972--Brad Rice (Monroe). 1973--James Sarpy (San Fernando). 1974--Kenny Moore (San Fernando). 1975--Kevin Williams (San Fernando). 1976--Tim Brown (Cleveland) and Michael Brant (San Fernando). 1977--Tom Ramsey (Kennedy) and John Elway (Granada Hills). 1978--Stephen Jones (San Fernando). 1979--Joey Charles (Hart).

1980--Mike Owens (Van Nuys). 1981--Glenn Wellman (Westlake). 1982--Sean Sterle (St. Genevieve). 1983--Erik Affholter (Oak Park). 1984--Scott Cline (Camarillo). 1985--M. J. Nelson (Simi Valley).

Coaches of Year

1961--George Goff (Birmingham). 1962--John Sanders (Grant). 1963--George Goff (Birmingham). 1964--Roy Jae (Reseda). 1965--John Becker (Crespi). 1966--Phil Lozano (San Fernando). 1967--Phil Lozano (San Fernando). 1968--John Mathieson Jr. and John Nelson (Canoga Park). 1969--Wayne Sink and Stanley Friedman (Birmingham).

1970--Harold (Skip) Giancanelli and Gilbert Rozadilla (El Camino Real). 1971--Steve Butler (Crespi). 1972--Myron Gibford (Sylmar). 1973--Steve Butler (Crespi). 1974--Robert Dunivant (Burroughs of Burbank). 1975--Jim Babcock and John Haynes (Kennedy). 1976--Arnold Leckman and Tom Hansen (Cleveland). 1977--Fred Neilson (North Hollywood). 1978--Bill Marsh and Bill Hornbeck (San Fernando). 1979--Harold (Skip) Giancanelli (El Camino Real).

1980--Harry Frum and Ken McKenna (Monroe). 1981--Ed McCarthy (Canoga Park). 1982--Gene Zeller (Alemany). 1983--Harry Welch (Canyon). 1984--Frank Greminger (Agoura). 1985--Harry Welch (Canyon).