DEMANDING SUCCESS; SYLMAR'S ENGILMAN LEARNS TO LET OTHERS SHARE THE LOAD.Byline: Gary Washburn Daily News Staff Writer Behind his grizzled griz·zled adj. 1. Partly gray or streaked with gray: a grizzled beard. 2. Having fur or hair streaked or tipped with gray. exterior is a man having fun again. Jeff Engilman's annual threats of retirement have subsided this year. The Sylmar High School Sylmar High School is a public school in the northeast San Fernando Valley in the Sylmar district of Los Angeles, California. Established in the 1950s, it is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, District 2, and serves more than 3,600 students in grades 9-12. football coach has decided to concentrate on taking his team back to the City championship. His Spartans (11-1) face Taft (11-0) in Friday's 4-A semifinals. He is as determined to return to a City final as he was in turning his program around after two downtrodden down·trod·den adj. Oppressed; tyrannized. downtrodden Adjective oppressed and lacking the will to resist Adj. 1. years. It has been tough for Engilman. Watching his perennial 4-A title contenders dwindle dwin·dle v. dwin·dled, dwin·dling, dwin·dles v.intr. To become gradually less until little remains. v.tr. To cause to dwindle. See Synonyms at decrease. to pretenders after two early playoff losses the last two years has been difficult. Continuing battles with the City Section, keeping kids academically eligible while his teams' quality of play dropped off were primary reasons Engilman seriously contemplated retirement. He called a meeting last Christmas with his coaching staff. ``I listed some things that I didn't like that were going on,'' Engilman said. ``And I listed every returning player with their strengths and weaknesses. We decided to try our best this year to improve everything.'' Change for Engilman is not easy. Before this season, the Spartans ran the same defense since he arrived in 1987. He had always controlled his program with the same intensity that won City titles in 1992 and 1994. Engilman is not a controlling man, but he felt he had to stick with what was successful. But handling everything alone was taking time off his coaching career and causing stress at home. ``I told my wife and some others that I was going to let some others handle new situations,'' Engilman said. ``I have always done everything. It was about time to give some young guys a shot.'' The most likely candidate for more responsibilities was assistant Darrell McIntyre, his knowledgeable 33-year-old defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a football team in the National Football League or college football who is in charge of the defense. This position aids the head coach a great deal in many ways by delegating play calling to other coaches and allowing the head who had his share of hearing problems from Engilman tirades. Engilman named McIntyre offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator typically refers to the coach on a football team in the National Football League or College football who is in charge of the offense. This position aids the head coach by designing and scripting plays, delegating work to offensive position coaches during and immediately gave his new offensive understudy some suggestions of what to institute. But they weren't orders. ``Jeff has allowed me to learn,'' said McIntyre, who is considered one of the area's best young coaching prospects. ``The reason I have stayed here is that it's fun. It's been a challenge for me and being around Jeff has made me a better coach.'' Adding former UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX lineman London Woodfin and former Washington tailback tail·back n. Football The back on an offensive team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage. tailback Noun Brit a queue of traffic stretching back from an obstruction Tobaise Brookins to his staff has not only taken some responsibility off Engilman's shoulders but has also made him more enthusiastic. For the first time in several years, Engilman actually relaxes at practice. He has time to sit down to take a rest. ``You see out there,'' Engilman said pointing to Brookins. ``Toby is working with the running backs. I used to have to do that. Shoot, sometimes I have nothing to do. It's a load off me and I'll admit this is the most fun I've had in a while.'' So it's no accident Sylmar is at this point. Engilman might have done his best coaching job in years, especially since guys like Tyrone Crenshaw cren·shaw also cran·shaw n. A variety of winter melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus) having a greenish-yellow rind and sweet, usually salmon-pink flesh. [Origin unknown.] and Durell Price aren't enrolling every other year anymore. Infractions such as a passing-league game against Pierce College In 2006 the Library won a national Excellence award. Academics Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. , practicing on Labor Day Labor Day, holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September to honor the laborer. It was inaugurated by the Knights of Labor in 1882 and made a national holiday by the U.S. Congress in 1894. or talking with a kid from another school in the Sylmar weight room added to Engilman's controversial reputation. But opposing coaches don't deny his talent. ``I have nothing but respect for Jeff Engilman,'' Taft coach Troy Starr said. ``People may not believe that, but it's true. Sylmar is a well-coached team.'' The low point for Engilman was his City Section-imposed suspension last season that caused him to miss the 30-6 loss to Taft. It was then that many saw Engilman's true effect. ``If he leaves, I don't think it will ever be the same,'' senior receiver Shaun Avalos said. ``I mean, he is Sylmar. A lot of guys come here just to play for him. They know he's a good coach.'' The question remains how many screams does Engilman have left? How long can he continue to be so emotional in his style? How long can his organized but chaotic atmosphere remain healthy? ``When I have to change, then that's when I leave,'' Engilman said. ``I did some things this offseason to take some pressure off me. But I'm going to stay the same until I decide it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to go. Right now, I'm not as intent on getting out soon as I once was.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1--color) no caption (Jeff Engilman) John Lazar John Lazar was Mayor of Adelaide from 1855 to 1858. John LaZar (born May 22, 1946) is a classically trained American actor of both stage and screen. / Special to the Daily News (2--color) JEFF ENGILMAN Greatest accomplishment: Guiding Sylmar to City Section 4-A championships in 1992 over Carson and in 1994 over Crenshaw. Worst defeat: Getting ousted by Narbonne in the second round of the playoffs in 1995 and the first round in 1997. |
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