SYLMAR FOOTBALL DOES THE RIGHT `ENG' PLAYERS ALWAYS COUNT ON FIERY COACH TO BE THERE.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

It's 1:45 p.m. at Sylmar High and that means football practice is about to start.

Which means Spartans' coach Jeff Engilman is taping ankles.

At most schools this is a chore left to an assistant coach or a trainer. But Sylmar isn't most schools, so the head coach does it.

Whereas Westlake and Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks are plush, Sylmar is tough and gritty. It's the type of school where most kids play football to stay off the streets, the kind of place where some guys are as likely to wind up in gangs or jail as the end zone.

At Notre Dame, a typical practice is a gathering place for parents and students, games are well attended and deep-pocketed parents and alumni help subsidize the program.

At Sylmar, nobody bothers to drop by practice other than players and coaches.

Schools such as Westlake tap into a substantial support system to help provide trainers, video coordinators and scouts. At Sylmar, Engilman is lucky to get all his coaches to practice every day, let alone expect someone to tend to the more tedious details of running a football team.

Like taping ankles.

Which is fine for an old-school guy like Engilman, a self-described football lifer who uses a roaring voice and a pair of penetrating blue eyes to evoke discipline from the type of kids others either have forgotten about or lost hope in.

Most are kids from one-parent homes or sons of hard-working immigrants whose parents are focused on providing the basics of life. Many players face pressure to work themselves in order to help their families, forcing Engilman to spend almost as much time keeping players academically eligible as he does preparing game plans.

A new problem always lurks around the corner, so to maintain his sanity Engilman keeps a personal scoreboard. If he can help or save one of 10 kids, he's content.

``I don't think every coach goes through some of the stuff we do,'' Engilman said.

Which is why he doesn't just tape ankles. For Engilman, this is a chance to teach, push and challenge.

``We have a rule here: no hats or scarfs,'' Engilman says.

Just then a Sylmar player who doesn't exactly adhere to the rule walks by. The kid shows up wearing some sort of head gear nearly every day and Engilman takes it away from him each time and flushes it down the toilet.

``How many hats and scarfs have I taken away from you?'' Engilman asks him.

``A lot,'' the kids answers shyly.

``That's right, a lot,'' Engilman said, shaking his head.

``He understands, he knows,'' Engilman continues. ``It's almost like he's saying 'Forget the rule, forget the school. I'm going to do what I want.' But it doesn't work like that here.''

Not when Engilman is in charge. He is accustomed to this kind of mentality, having dealt with five years of it at equally gritty Manual Arts in Los Angeles and the last 14 at Sylmar. It's a mindset he's grown to understand and he knows how to combat it.

The proof is on the field, where Engilman, who graduated from Poly High in Sun Valley and Cal Lutheran University, overcomes the lack of resources, minimal parental support and the often overwhelming initial disregard for discipline to consistently produce tough, efficient football teams.

In 19 years, he's compiled an impressive 180-53-4 overall record. At Sylmar, he's 131-31-3, capturing City Section titles in 1992 and 1994 and 11 league titles. During one stretch, the Spartans won 69 consecutive league games. This season they are 2-2.

He's done it with his customary brash, fiery style, erupting when a blocker on the second-string punt team doesn't line up correctly or unleashing a frightening verbal barrage when a tight end doesn't use the correct technique to shed a defender.

Sometimes he even steps over the line. He's been reprimanded for conducting a passing-league game at Pierce College, practicing on Labor Day and talking to a kid from another school in the Sylmar weight room.

However, he's always survived and his teams continue to thrive.

Engilman's style is not for everybody, but it's one he insists is the most appropriate under the circumstances.

``I'm not an easy guy to deal with, that's for sure,'' Engilman said. ``But I think I was meant to work at a place like this. All you have to do is look at my track record, where I've been, to know that this is where I'm supposed to be. I'm a disciplinarian.''

The key is that the players who understand Engilman, the ones who ignore his abrupt manner and focus on the essence of his message, usually come to the same conclusion: He cares about us - as football players and young men.

Over the years, Engilman has helped parentless players find homes, lined up jobs, listened to kids talk about their troubled lives and doled out advice on everything from girlfriends to college.

For many of his players, Engilman isn't just a coach, he's a father. In other words, the guy players affectionately call ``Eng'' has their backs.

``That makes him the best coach in the city,'' nose guard Nathaniel Richmond said. ``Eng, I mean he might not be the right kind of guy for everyone, but he can be your dad and your best friend, and around here we need that. Bottom line is, if you got a problem, Eng is there for you. I always talk to him about stuff.''

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Engilman insists he's mellowed over the years. He says he used to be unbending in the way he'd set up rules, then come down with a hammer on anyone courageous - or stupid - enough to actually break them.

Now he says he listens more and actually can see a gray area where he once saw black and white. This, of course, is amusing to his current players.

``What, mellowed?'' running back Danny Burney asks.

Burney doubles over in laughter at the thought.

``Eng hasn't mellowed, man,'' Burney insists. ``Eng definitely hasn't mellowed.''

And that's OK with the Spartans, many of whom understand their coach enough to know where he's coming from. If you can't, or won't, stomach the volatile Engilman, you'll find your way out the door sooner or later.

``He screams and yells and for some guys that's either a big adjustment or they just can't handle it,'' defensive end Floyd Greene said. ``But he's trying to win football games here, and I feel him on that.''

There is some truth to Engilman's claim that he's softened. He delegates more to his coaching staff, doesn't spend countless hours breaking down film and working on weekends. During practice, he walks from position to position offering individual tips and pointers rather than work with one specific group.

He even gives a kid a break once in a while. As he was taping ankles, Engilman talked about a talented young sophomore who wasn't showing up to Tuesday-morning film sessions and had to run 10 100-yard sprints after practice each time as punishment.

``The kid's in incredible shape as a result, but what does it matter if he can't show up when he's supposed to?'' Engilman said. ``It was chronic the way he kept missing films, so I finally said, 'Get out of here, you're off the team.' It wasn't fair to the other players or the coaches. I mean, enough is enough.''

Later, Engilman was walking through the locker room when he came across the same player sitting quietly by himself. The kid had half his football uniform on and looked as if he wasn't sure whether he should finish getting dressed or just go on home.

Engilman shot him a look, then shook his head.

``Did you deserve to get kicked off the team?'' Engilman asked.

The kid didn't answer.

``Did you?'' Engilman asked again.

``Yes,'' the kid answered.

``Have you made one morning film?'' Engilman asked. ``Just one?''

``No,'' the kid said.

``Is that fair to the rest of the team?'' Engilman prodded.

``No,'' the kid said.

``Tell you what, you get dressed then head up to the field. You and I will discuss that up there, OK?''

``Yes, sir,'' the kid said.

After the kid left, Engilman began walking to his office, then stopped.

``That's how it is here,'' he finally said. ``That's what we're dealing with. Like I say to people, if you can save one out of 10, you can feel good about yourself. One out of 10.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color in Final edition only) - Jeff Engilman

Sylmar coach

(2 -- 3) Sylmar football coach Jeff Engilman is credited for his team's success on and off the field.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer