LIKE OLD TIMES WELCH IN CANYON SPOTLIGHT AGAIN.

CANYON COUNTRY - It's Friday morning at Canyon High and football coach Harry Welch is working on three hours sleep. He can use a nap, if only he had the time.

By 11 a.m., Welch - one of the most successful coaches in region history - already has taught an English class, attended a festive pep rally at the campus gym, met with an L.A. County sheriff's deputy in charge of game security, fielded a handful of phone calls, inspected the playing field one last time and checked over a guest-pass list for Friday's game.

In nine hours, Welch will return to the Cowboys' sideline for the first time in eight years, a comeback every bit as triumphant as it is, to some, controversial. His Cowboys ended up losing 30-20 against Jurupa Valley on Friday night.

Both sentiments are in ample supply for the coach who led Canyon to three consecutive Southern Section titles between 1983-85, a then-record-breaking 46-game winning streak and an astonishing 120-31-2 record.

But on the morning of his first new-era game day, there is so much work to do he barely has time to think about the legacy he helped create and is now expected to duplicate, and the critics lying in wait and hoping he falls hard.

``It gets pretty crazy on a game day,'' Welch says as he leans back in his office chair and breathes a sigh of relief.

All of a sudden there is a knock on the door and Canyon team mom Wendy Weinrich pokes her head into the office.

``What happened to all those tables inside the weight room?'' she asks Welch. ``We're going to need them for the team meal.''

Welch smiles tightly.

``I'll get right on it,'' Welch says. ``I've got it covered.''

After making a few calls trying to locate the missing tables, Welch rips open a box of game socks he ordered overnight express in time for Friday's game.

``There has to be an easier way,'' Welch says.

Welch has only himself to blame for the reaction to his comeback, both the positive and negative. It was inevitable a coach so successful would make just as many enemies as friends.

``My legion of detractors,'' Welch calls the critics.

During his first tenure, kids in Canyon Country dreamed of growing up to play for the Cowboys under Welch, and once they got to Canyon, they stepped into a program that expected greatness.

``We felt if we played our game, we weren't going to lose,'' said Canyon assistant Scott Blade, who played under Welch from 1988-90. ``We weren't cocky, we just believed in (Welch) and felt we were the most prepared team.''

But as kickoff inches closer, Welch doesn't have time to dwell on the past.

In fact, before he even steps on the field for pregame warmups, Welch must meet with his assistant coaches, watch video, hold a team meeting, eat a pregame meal with his players, oversee some last-minute field maintenance, grade papers, talk a worker into putting up scaffolding on both sides of the field, consult with two injured players and review plans with Canyon's video coordinator.

``I'm not sure it's like this at a lot of other schools,'' Welch said. ``I mean, do you think many other coaches are talking about scaffolding on the day of a game?''

Probably not. But then there aren't many coaches like Harry Welch. When asked if the return of Welch caused any little change within the program, Weinrich laughed out loud.

``There's no little bit of anything where Harry Welch is concerned,'' Weinrich said.

Even when it comes to the respect or contempt Welch draws from people. He chalks up the ill will to envy.

``When you're successful people get jealous,'' Welch said.

No doubt Welch rubbed some people the wrong way during his last stay, and his incredibly intense personality and the dominance in which his teams performed practically invited some opponents to develop a deep dislike for him.

``When you're on top, people take shots,'' Blade said.

There also were a couple of well-publicized incidents that provided more fodder for Welch critics who consider him a loose cannon and, worse, a cheater - though he was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.

``If the sun sets in the east, it's Welch's fault,'' Welch said. ``If it sets in the west, well then Welch is behind that, too. It's frustrating.''

Welch stepped down in 1993, tired of the controversy and pressures of the job. He was also in mourning following a player's death in an automobile accident and a terrible accident in which an assistant coach was paralyzed.

When Welch retired, he was tired, frustrated and hurting. And he was convinced he'd walked the Canyon sideline for the last time.

But three years ago, the passion for coaching returned, although Welch, who stayed on at Canyon as a teacher, was rebuffed in his quest for the Cowboys' job when Canyon replaced Larry Mohr with Jack Bowman.

When Bowman stepped down at the end of last season, Welch - who spent a season as an assistant at Valencia High - applied again. This time he got the job.

His players barely know about Welch's past success - they were infants during the winning streak - but they can sense change coming in Cowboys fortunes.

``He just knows so much about football,'' said running back Ryan Sullivan, who's in the best shape of his life after Welch's demanding training camp. ``It blows me away, the things he can come up with. It's like, how did he know that?''

Welch, 57, didn't have to come back. His record speaks for itself and it's doubtful he'll duplicate the same dominance as before, with Hart of Newhall now the region's powerhouse.

Canyon has a young team with five sophomore starters, and Welch predicts growing pains for the inexperienced Cowboys.

He came back to satisfy his passion for the game and maybe rehabilitate his image. The winning will take care of itself.

``I've never heard the guy say we have!off to win this particular game, because it's never been about winning or losing,'' Blade said. ``That may surprise some people, but the fact is, the bottom line for him is playing our game and being prepared to play. Winning and losing is never even a subject. I haven't heard him say anything about that, both as a player and as someone now coaching with him.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Coach Harry Welch, who led Canyon to three consecutive Southern Section titles in the '80s, shares a laugh with his team during a pep rally.

(2) Harry Welch hopes to lead Canyon back to the glory days when he fashioned a 120-31-2 record.

David Crane/Staff Photographer