CANYON PLAYED IT SAFE BY PICKING BOWMAN.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE Local

Canyon High had a chance to drive off in a Ferrari. Instead, it stayed with the family van.

Nothing against Jack Bowman, who was chosen Wednesday to head the Cowboys' football program, but by picking Bowman ahead of former coach Harry Welch, Canyon passed on a proven championship commodity. The fact that Welch teaches on campus and was eager to return to coaching made the decision all the more curious.

Maybe Canyon principal Vicki Engbrecht couldn't overlook the baggage that Welch comes with. In his 12-year stint with the Cowboys, he won three Southern Section titles but also managed to get himself into trouble on occasion.

There were two prominent incidents, one that Welch was ultimately cleared of, the other in which he admits using poor judgment.

In 1991, Canyon conducted an illegal after-school practice that resulted in a one-year suspension of Welch, even though he denies being at the practice.

It is interesting to note that a two-year court battle that ensued with the Southern Section ended when the section, rebuked by a Superior Court judge for the way it handled the case, agreed to settle with Welch.

Later in 1991, the former president of the Canyon booster club allegedly punched Welch for singling out the man's son after a loss.

Welch also was an incredibly intense presence on the practice field and the sideline. His personality - and the fact that Canyon won so much - practcally invited opponents and enemies to take shots at him.

Welch insists he has changed over the years, mellowed even. But maybe Engbrecht isn't convinced and that is why she chose Bowman.

If that is the case, fine. But why encourage somebody to apply for the job if there was no real interest in hiring him? Especially when that somebody just happens to be the greatest coach in school history?

That isn't right, nor is it fair. The school should have told Welch up front that he wasn't a serious candidate and simply ask him not to apply.

If Welch's past didn't affect the decision, why was Bowman chosen ahead of him? After all, going strictly on their records and impact, Welch was the obvious choice.

Engbrecht said Wednesday she felt Bowman was the right person at the right time for the Canyon job.

Time might prove that to be true. But in Welch, she had someone who has proven he can take a program to the highest possible level. The Cowboys once won 46 straight games under him, and they averaged 10 wins per season during his tenure. It would have been intriguing to see if he could approach that same level of success during a second run.

By hiring Welch, Canyon would have created immediate interest in a program that has lagged behind crosstown rival Hart, which is the dominant team in the Foothill League, and upstart Valencia.

Bowman, a respected coach, achieved average success at Saugus, where he won 36 games in six years. Maybe at Canyon, with a fresh start and a committed administration behind him, the wins will increase. But Welch could have restored greatness.

If this were only about numbers, Welch would be content if he never coached another football game the rest of his life. In the five years since he last roamed the sidelines at Canyon, he found that spending time with loved ones was just as satisfying as breaking down film and Friday-night football games.

It's a world that Welch has come to appreciate. A world that allows him to connect with his wife in a manner that might not be possible if the demands of football kept tugging at him.

The time away also enabled him to witness the birth of his two grandchildren, and he would be perfectly happy to spend fall afternoons chasing them around the park rather than planning for the next big game.

But for Welch, the thrill was always the process, not the outcome. And in that respect, something has been missing the last five years.

More important, for a proud man who demanded excellence from those he coached, he hoped a second chance would help to improve his reputation.

``I can honestly say, to paraphrase a wise man, that there are some things I have done that I wish I could have changed,'' Welch said. ``I would certainly like another chance to make things good again.''

Welch wonders now if he'll ever get that chance. It is doubtful he'll be asked on as an assistant under Bowman, and the Hart School District forbids teachers from one school coaching at another.

Welch will not move out of the area to coach somewhere else.

``I've had offers to coach professionally and in college,'' Welch said. ``But call me crazy, I love where I live and and really like teaching at Canyon. This is where I want to be.''

Unfortunatley, it won't be as a football coach.

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Photo: Canyon High selected Jack Bowman over long-time coach Harry Welch to run the Cowboys' football program.

Daily News File Photo