Sylmar Reprimands Engilman for Holding an Improper Team Meeting : High school football: Principal believes coach should receive no more punishment for Labor Day infraction.

Sylmar High football Coach Jeff Engilman has been reprimanded by school Principal Linda Ambro for conducting an improper team meeting on Labor Day.

However, Ambro said Wednesday that she is satisfied with Engilman’s explanation of the episode and believes that he did not knowingly violate a City Section rule prohibiting contact between players and coaches over the three-day holiday weekend.

Ambro also termed as “laughable” a videotape of the team meeting, which was filmed Monday by a Kennedy assistant who staked out the school after receiving a tip that Sylmar was conducting an unauthorized practice.

Sylmar, the defending City Section 4-A Division champion and the ninth-ranked team in the state, plays host to Kennedy in an opener Friday night.

City schools were notified in writing several weeks ago that contact between players and coaches during the weekend was forbidden. Engilman said he thought that practices, not team meetings, were prohibited and maintains that players were present only because game uniforms were being issued.

Ambro said the tape fails to prove that additional improprieties took place. She said the tape shows the vehicles of coaches in the school parking lot, a couple of players on the football field as well as players and coaches periodically milling around the weight room. Players were not in pads.

“The videotape is laughable,” said Ambro, who possesses the sole copy of the tape. “There’s nothing, nothing, nothing to substantiate that there was a practice.”

Ambro said that when she meets with City Commissioner Hal Harkness today, she will recommend that no further action be taken against Engilman or the program.

Ambro said she plans to screen the tape today for Harkness, “because he can use a good laugh.”

Harkness, who was out of town Wednesday and unavailable for comment, said earlier this week that he would review the episode with Ambro today and determine whether additional punitive action is warranted.

“(Engilman) was wrong in his interpretation that practices were all that was prohibited,” Ambro said. “But if Kennedy’s expecting a forfeit or something like that, I don’t see it happening.”

Kennedy Coach Bob Francola said he will withhold comment until Harkness views the film and rules on the infraction.

Engilman, a controversial coach who was fired at Grant in 1986 after he allegedly drew a crude depiction of female genitalia on a blocking dummy, said he is aware that people are keeping an eye on his program. Additionally, several transfers have recently joined his high-profile program.

“I know that when people see my name, a red flag goes up,” he said Tuesday. “I’m not going to jeopardize the game or the season over something like that. . . . I can’t believe that some people would stoop to this.”