Canyon Country Canyon Beats University, 20-6 : L.A. Watts Games: Players, parents call Southern Section’s one-year suspension of successful Cowboy coach excessive.

It was business as usual for the Canyon Country Canyon High football team Saturday as the Cowboys defeated Irvine University, 20-6, in the second round of the L.A. Watts Summer Games seven-on-seven passing tournament.

But away from the field, players and several parents were still upset by the Southern Section’s decision Friday to suspend Harry Welch from coaching the Cowboys for a year because of an illegal off-season practice last month.

Canyon has 10 days to appeal the decision, and during that time, Welch can coach the team, which he did Saturday.

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

Southern Section rules state that a football team cannot practice 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 prohibited.

“The punishment was definitely too severe,” Canyon defensive back Allan Teegarden said. “He didn’t do half the stuff people said he did.”

Chris Spahr, an outside linebacker, said that the punishment was unfair.

“He’s not the only guy that’s ever done that,” Spahr said. “But because of his success, I think the Southern Section felt like they had to make an example of him.”

George Engbrecht, whose son Chad completed 16 of 26 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns against University, said that some form of punishment against the Canyon program was justified, but that the length of Welch’s suspension went too far.

“Apparently, the team was out of line,” Engbrecht said. “But the penalty was too severe. . . . I think there was some vindictiveness on the part of the Southern Section. (Welch) has been involved in some controversial things in the past, and because he’s a good coach, I think they felt like they had to use him as an example.”