RIMERSBURG - For five years, Karen Davis turned to Josh Meeker on the Union High School girls basketball bench for advice, for a sympathetic ear and as a sounding board.

When Davis left the program three years ago, she gave the keys to a Rolls Royce of a program to Meeker, who has done little since to dull its shine or soil its new-car smell.

"Josh has done a great job with the girls," Davis said. "I knew he would."

Neither expected the story to evolve like it has this season, though. Meeker led the girls to the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference Championship and Davis, in her second year as the boys coach at the school, did the same.

It was a rare double-dip, an unusual dual championship for a Class A school and for two coaches who shared many KSAC titles on the Damsels staff.

"When she decided to step down as girls coach, I knew we lost something special," Meeker said. "When the boys position came open and she applied for it, I was just so excited about that."

The Union girls are 22-2 after a rousing win over Sheffield in the District 9 Class A playoffs Thursday. The Union boys are 20-4 and host Clarion tonight in the district playoffs.

It was like old times for the two a few weeks ago when the Union boys played Redbank Valley.

Meeker was at the game and Davis found herself prowling down to where Meeker was sitting to comment about the game."I'd go down and ask him something or say, 'That was a bad call, wasn't it?'" Davis said. "I told him, 'It's just like the old days.'"Because of their close relationship, both teams have run smoothly this season.Sharing the same gym and juggling practice schedules can make for difficult days during the season, but Davis and Meeker have found a way to co-exist because of their shared experience.The boys and girls teams also have grown closer, bridging a gap wider than their won-loss records.Meeker sometimes ended practice early so his players could attend a Union boys road. Davis has done the same so her team could take in a Damsels contest.The animosity between the successful girls program and the struggling boys team has faded like a bad dream."There's a closeness between the two teams now," Meeker said. "In the past, there was some tension and jealousy and competitiveness between the two. The boys thought the girls were only successful because they didn't have any competition. But now they really support each other."So do Davis and Meeker. They two often share some advice as one leaves practice and the other prepares to start it."We run a lot of the same plays," Davis said. "I run plays with the boys that Josh runs with the girls. The offense is the same, but I have to say Josh is a very good defensive coach. He has them playing defense better than I ever did."The two took very different paths to where they are now.Meeker took over a program that was already on top. Davis took over a program that was near rock bottom."We both talked about how we were in different positions when we took over," Meeker said. "I had to keep a program going and she had to resurrect one that had been dead for a long time."This season they are a combined 42-6 and enjoying success again together. Some things never change."We both miss talking to each other on the bench," Meeker said. "We miss the interaction at practice, but we're both doing pretty well right now."