Jan 9, 2015 4 min read

The impact a coach has on a WPIAL girls basketball program can be vast. From building a winning culture to fostering development of players at every level, a coach can make the difference between winning and losing.

When it comes to Section 4-AAAA, the coaches know a thing or two about winning. Of the eight head coaches in the section, six have won a WPIAL title as a head coach or as an assistant.

Dori Oldaker of Mt. Lebanon, Johnna Burke of Bethel Park, Pete Serio of Upper St. Clair and Reggie Wells of West Allegheny led their teams to the top of the WPIAL.

Peters Township’s Bert Kendall and Canon-McMillan’s Frank Zebrasky won championships as assistant coaches. Kendall was a longtime assistant at Bethel Park under Burke, reaching two WPIAL titles gams and winning another. Zebrasky was an assistant coach under Washington boys basketball head coach Ron Faust, winning a state title in 1986 and two WPIAL titles.

The other two coaches, Doug Sakland of Moon and Gavin Prosser of Baldwin, quickly established winning traditions at their respective schools.

It adds up to being arguably the most competitive section in WPIAL girls basketball.

“They’ve been through the wars and battles,” Zebrasky said of his colleagues. “They’ve virtually seen everything and anything. As an opposing coach, you just try to pick their brains and see what they’re thinking about. You have a great bunch of basketball minds to allow yourself to build your arsenal.”

Five of the last seven WPIAL Class AAAA champions call Section 4 home with Mt. Lebanon winning three of those titles. The section has a reputation for developing top talent and winning playoff games.

This season, four players from Section 4-AAAA are averaging at least 15 points per game. Canon-McMillan senior forward Danielle Parker is third in Class AAAA in scoring with almost 19 points per game.

The Big Macs (3-3, 8-4) are second in Quad-A in points per game and Mt. Lebanon is only one of four teams in the classification with an undefeated record in section play. According to Kendall, the affect of strong coaching is not in the adjustments made, but with the effort shown by players on the court.

“I think the value of the coach and where you see it is really in the overall play; the hustle, the desire, the execution, the attention to detail you see when kids are rebounding or playing defense,” Kendall said. “There are no nights off in this section.”

Kendall took over at Peters Township prior to last season and the Indians struggled through an adjustment period – winning only two games in section play and finishing with a 7-15 overall record.

Behind one of the best all-around players in the WPIAL, junior guard Madison Kerr, Kendall has Peters Township competing among the best.

The foundation of the program is built on principles Kendall learned as an assistant under Burke at Bethel Park, where they won a WPIAL title in 2013.

“Having spent nearly a decade with a successful program, it made it easier because we tailored so much of what we do from a work ethic standpoint, time allocation at practices, knowing these are the things we’re working on and knowing it was successful over there, made the transition easier,” Kendall said.

The section is a melting pot of philosophies. Wells won two WPIAL titles and a PIAA title as the girls coach at South Park and led the boys program to two WPIAL titles. Serio had a coaching stint in the Women’s National Basketball Association. Oldaker led the USA to its first gold medal last summer at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

With multiple section games a week, the atmosphere is unique as two coaches’ teams face each other on the hardwood.

“When you are competitive, you always want to play against the best,” Kendall said. “It’s a combination of you know you are going up against the best and it’s a sense of admiration. The people you are competing against are quality people. They are such good folks and they love the game of basketball. There is a feeling of comradery there and respect.”