Canyon’s Welch Girds for Battle Against Goliath

Canyon High’s quarterfinal playoff game against Eisenhower tonight might have national repercussions.

No, news of the well-documented legal struggles between Canyon Coach Harry Welch and Southern Section Commissioner Stan Thomas has not spread coast to coast. Rather, Eisenhower’s Eagles (11-0) are the No. 1 team in the USA Today Super 25 high school football rankings.

Welch has cultivated a reputation as a giant-killer in his 10 years, making this game a tad more intriguing than the average quarterfinal game. And Welch, who cherishes the chance to play up the David vs. Goliath angle of this game, is not missing his cue.

“It’s almost not fair, the talent they have,” Welch said. “It’s very similar to a JC team playing a high school team with regards to size, speed and quickness. I would say on their roster they have 10 legitimate Division I prospects.”

But Welch is not in unfamiliar territory. In 1983, Canyon upset Monrovia in a playoff semifinal, 27-25. At that time, Monrovia was the state’s No. 1-ranked team. And Welch admits that all this hype is, well, kind of fun.

“I am as energized as I have been all year,” he said. “I do relish the opportunity to play against the No. 1 team in the country. And we’ll get after it. We’ll give it our all.”

Eisenhower Coach Tom Hoak was not quite as enthusiastic when asked about the Eagles’ ranking as the top team in the nation. “It’s a pain,” he said.

PROMISES, PROMISES

Antelope Valley Coach Brent Newcomb was second-guessed after the team’s 20-3 loss to Quartz Hill. Senior tailback Freddie Edwards, the league’s most explosive player, carried the ball just 11 times as Newcomb designed a game plan that emphasized the passing game.

After the game, Newcomb said it would not happen again. “As long as I am coaching Freddie Edwards, he will touch the ball at least 25 times in every game we have left,” he said.

Close, coach. Edwards had 22 carries for 106 yards and the Antelopes’ only touchdown in a 13-10 first round win over Bishop Amat. He also recovered two fumbles in the fourth quarter to preserve the win.

END OF THE LINE

Village Christian’s Division X quarterfinal is at Silver Valley High, seven miles outside Barstow on the way to Las Vegas.

Lest anyone think that Silver Valley is not in the boondocks, consider: the exit to get to the school from the freeway is called “Ghost Town Road.”

“There’s no way to get lost out there,” Village Christian Coach Mike Plaisance deadpanned. “There are two trees and a school. You can’t miss it.”

TALK ABOUT BAD LUCK

Andy Saint, a senior forward on the Buena basketball team, has had his share of injuries.

Saint sustained a broken arm after his sophomore season. After his arm healed, he underwent knee surgery and missed much of last season. Saint required another knee surgery and was ready to begin summer league play when he suffered a fractured hip.

Apparently Saint, who was a 5-10 guard as a sophomore, had shot up to 6-5 quicker than his body could manage and a muscle had torn the bone out of its socket.

After that hip healed, he fell and broke his other hip.

“He will play a big role in our success,” Coach Glen Hannah said. “That is, if he doesn’t break anything. That kid has had a rough time.”

RESURRECTION

Newbury Park senior forward Josh Currier has recovered from a near-fatal car accident in which many had left him for dead.

“The phone call I received was one that said, to the effect, to be ready for a funeral in four or five days,” Coach Greg Ropes said.

Although Currier lost 40 pounds during his recovery, he is on the basketball court again.

“Right now everybody calls him Bambi because he’s so thin,” Ropes said.

TWIN TOWERS

The Thousand Oaks basketball team features Nick and Paul Foster, a set of 6-foot-5 senior identical twins who apparently are alike only in appearance.

“Nick is a real garbage player,” Coach Ed Chevalier said. “He gets a lot of loose balls and second shots because he gets great position underneath.

“Paul is very athletic and a very, very good leaper. He is real polished with nice moves and moves from one spot to another very quickly.”

BABE WHO?

A generation ago, Orlando Cepeda--a first baseman for six major league teams, most notably the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals--was a household name.

Today, Orlando Cepeida, junior point guard for St. Francis, probably never even heard of his namesake--even though he is also an infielder on the school’s baseball team.

“I’ve never brought it up with him,” basketball Coach John Jordan said. “Kids today . . . I don’t even know if he knows who Cepeda is.”

NO ROOM AT THE INN

The Hart basketball tournament, scheduled to begin Dec. 26, will celebrate its 20th anniversary with five teams from out of the area participating.

Fresno schools Roosevelt and Central, West Bakersfield, Cabrillo and Arroyo Grande will come to Newhall.

“Our tournament is taking over the (local) Hampton Inn,” Hart Coach Greg Herrick said. “We’ve got five teams staying there.”

Other entries include Antelope Valley, Beverly Hills, Canyon, Glendale, Quartz Hill, St. Francis and Saugus.

Vince Kowalick and staff writers Brian Murphy and Jeff Riley contributed to this notebook.