A decade ago, when Frank Greco switched from coaching Central's boys' basketball team to guiding the girls' program, some thought that he had lost his competitive fire.
Possibly, he wanted a more relaxed environment, where wins and losses did not mean as much and grueling practices were not the norm. Maybe the intensity that Greco had shown as a Central player in the late 1960s and had carried over to his days coaching the boys had waned to the point where he was ready to just go through the motions.
Hardly.
As the girls' boss, Greco has been just as passionate, just as consumed with working his players as hard as possible to produce a winning squad. The sideline snarl remains, along with the occasional bark at an official after a questionable call.
Greco is not about counting the days to retirement, turning off the lights early to head off for a leisurely night at home, or scheduling the fewest games possible.
"He has high expectations, pushes every girl to be her best," said former Central star Sarah Jones, now a freshman guard for Villanova. "He wants what's best for the individual and, at the same time, what's best for the team."
Just as he did with the Central boys, Greco puts the girls through 21/2-hour practices. He expects the same attention to detail, the same team-first approach, the same hustle.
"He's pretty strict, but he does it to make us better," said Jill Barrett, a 5-11 senior forward for the Lancers.
Junior center Janaa Pickard said Greco was "tough at times, but we know he knows what he's doing."
"With what the Central teams have accomplished under him, it would be stupid not to listen to him," Pickard added.
Greco, now in his 10th season with the girls, has built the Lancers into a Public League powerhouse. They have won 99 straight league games. Wednesday, in a home game against Martin Luther King, they can nail down No. 100.
Central has not lost a league game, including playoffs, since bowing to Franklin Learning Center in the 2001 league title game. The Lancers have bagged six consecutive league championships during the impressive streak.
"It's such a credit to all of the kids who have played in this program," Greco, 56, said.
Jones, a 1,102-point high school scorer, led the Lancers to an 18-7 overall mark last season.
"To be able to say I played for Central and never lost a Public League game, that's pretty special," Jones said.
During the 2005-06 season, the Lancers set the Public League record, boys and girls, for consecutive league wins. The West Philadelphia boys' team won 66 in a row from 1974 to 1978.
Greco, also Central's athletic director and softball coach, was the West Philadelphia Speedboys' junior varsity coach for six years and a varsity assistant under Joe Goldenberg. One of Greco's most vivid memories from coaching with Goldenberg, who won 410 games in 21 seasons at West, came in a playoff game at the Palestra. Greco showed up in a Bee Gees-like outfit - jeans, a psychedelic shirt, and blue suede shoes with four-inch heels.
"I walked into the locker room and the kids had a big laugh," Greco said. "Joe pulled me aside and said, 'For any important games, you dress well and wear a tie.' "
Greco's other coaching mentors were University City's Steve Kane and Ben Franklin's Ken Hamilton. Greco was a volunteer assistant at both schools.
For the Central girls' success, Greco credits three unpaid assistants: Vince Parziale, Ron Montgomery and Liston Knowles. School principal Sheldon Pavel has steadfastly been in his corner.
His biggest supporter is his wife, and fellow school district teacher, Michelle. The couple has two children: Tim, 29, and Christina, 24. Christina played under dad for three seasons.
"That was one of the single biggest reasons I gave up the boys' job," Frank Greco said. "It was a great experience coaching my daughter. I wouldn't trade it for the world."
Going for 100
Here are highlights of the Central girls' basketball team's 99-game Public League winning streak.
Regular-season record:
75-0.
League playoff record:
24-0.
Overall record:
143-31.
Best season:
In 2002-03, Central went 25-3 overall and was ranked No. 1 in The Inquirer's final Southeastern Pennsylvania top-10 poll.
Closest call:
On Feb. 1, 2006, the Lancers needed overtime to turn back visiting Simon Gratz, 56-51, in a regular-season matchup. Talisha McClure scored six of her 17 points in the extra session.
League champs:
Central beat Engineering & Science in each of the last three seasons; defeated University City in 2004; topped Strawberry Mansion in 2003; and knocked off Franklin Learning Center in 2002.