Sylmar Put on 2 Years’ Probation : Football: Some area coaches call penalty for violations nothing more than slap on the wrist.

The Sylmar High football team was placed on probation for two calendar years Wednesday by the City Section rules committee and will forfeit two practice days for violating two Interscholastic Athletics Committee rules last month, City Commissioner Barbara Fiege said.

It is the second probation in little more than a year for Sylmar, a City 4-A semifinalist the past three seasons and 4-A champion in 1992. And just another proverbial slap on the wrist, according to some disappointed area City coaches.

Probation came as no surprise to Sylmar Coach Jeff Engilman, who was thankful that his players will be allowed to participate in the playoffs this season. If Sylmar commits another violation while on probation, the program could be banned from the playoffs, “or worse,” Fiege said.

“I expected probation,” said Engilman, who offered to resign if it would save the season for the players. “When you set yourself up, like I do--and I was wrong--you expect this. I’m just very, very happy they didn’t punish the kids.”

Sylmar scrimmaged Pierce College in an informal passing game Aug. 9, violating two IAC rules. City teams were not allowed to participate in intrasquad scrimmages after Aug. 1. Additionally, high school teams are not permitted to compete against players who do not meet the CIF age requirement. Students who turn 19 on or before Aug. 31 are ineligible.

Although Engilman admits that the game took place, he insists that he did not know it was a violation.

Area coaches expressed disgust and resentment about what they described as a lenient punishment.

“Everybody knew that was gonna be what happened, you know, ho-hum,” Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer is among many who feel that teams which break rules repeatedly never receive enough punishment.

Sylmar (1-0), which beat Kennedy, 16-14, in a season opener last week, was on probation last season for practicing on a holiday, which violated an IAC rule. However, that probation period ended when Sylmar’s 1993 season was complete in December.

Fiege, who assumed her post shortly after Sylmar received its 1993 probation, was among nine committee members who decided on the punishment. Fiege is confident that the prescribed punishment fits the crime.

“I think two years probation is sending a message because we usually just (prescribe) one year,” Fiege said.

Others, however, disagree.

“It’s probation on probation. What is that?” Schaeffer said. “The message to me is that you are gonna get two or three probations before anything happens to you.”

Said Grant Coach Bill Foster: “It’s a sad thing when people are in outright violation of the rules and given probation over and over again.”