After three state championships with three different schools, Head Coach Harry Welch came “home” to be honored Saturday before the Canyon Cowboys would shutout Clovis West (Fresno) 48-0.

Before the Cowboys took to the field Saturday, Canyon honored their former head coach and the 1983 CIF Northwestern Conference championship football team with special recognitions.

Welch along with honorary captains from the ’83 team Rick Burton and Tony Moore walked out to midfield to take part in the traditional coin toss.

“To return to the home of the Cowboys and to the school that I loved for thirty-seven years and have a few moments with some of the best men and women I have ever met and along with some of the players and coaches and fans is very special,” Welch said. “Simply put, I am loving it.”

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Most of the players from the ’83 championship team were in attendance along with their families and friends.

Honorary captains Moore and Burton were all smiles as they reminisced about the high school days and playing for Coach Welch.

“A lot of the things that Harry taught me about football and life I took to heart and passed those values onto the kids that I coach today,” Moore said. “He was like a second dad to all of us.”

Welch was a coach that wasn’t only about football, but cared about his players on a personal level.

During Burton’s junior year, his father passed away and fell into a rough time in his young life.

“When my father passed, Harry stepped up and became a second father to me and no one asked him to do that,” Burton said. “He took me under his wing and that is something I would never forget.”

Welch, or the Vince Lombardi of the Valley, is in his final season as a head coach and will be retiring and the end of this season.

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After his time at Canyon, Welch went on to St. Margaret’s Episcopal School and was able to lead the team to a state title. After leaving St. Margaret’s in 2009, Welch took the head coaching position at Santa Margarita Catholic High School and was able to make history.

Welch was able to take Santa Margarita to win the state title and become the only coach to win a state title with three different schools.

Welch said that although it is time for him to retire, he won’t completely leave football. If the right offer comes along, he will have to have a talk.

Canyon Cowboys shutout Clovis West

Once the ceremony was over it was the Cowboys that would excite the crowd. With five turnovers for Clovis West, Canyon was able to capitalize on all of them and would shutout the Clovis West Golden Eagles, 48-0.

It was senior Zach Cuha that would come up big for the Cowboys on Saturday night. Cuha finished the night with 72 receiving yards, three touchdown receptions and an interception.

The Cabrera brothers, Liam and Isreal, impacted both sides of the football for Canyon. Junior Liam Cabrera caught a 55 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cade Apsay to put the Cowboys up 21-0 in the second quarter.

Liam ended the night with 132 receiving yards.

Apsay completed 15 of 20 passes for a total of 265 yards and 5 touchdowns with 2 interceptions and 1 rushing touchdown.

Junior Isreal Cabrera ended the night with a 60 yard interception for Canyon in the fourth quarter that brought the score to its final at 48-0.

Canyon has a bye week next week and will step onto the field again September 20 as they host Quartz Hill High School.

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