To Wayne Roccia, 400 is just another number, but it does prove one thing.

"I've been coaching a very long time," he noted.

The Seneca Valley track and field coach recently eclipsed the 400-win total in his coaching career.

"I think what's nice for me is it boosts the program and shows it's solid," said Roccia. "It's a very competitive program.

"It shows we go and compete with people; that we're not just showing up," he added.

Roccia (404-166) is in his 30th year of coaching the boys team (199-97) and his 26th for the girls (205-69). Entering this season, the boys program has enjoyed 26 consecutive winning campaigns; the girls 21.

"We've been very successful in getting kids to come out," said Roccia. "We're looking to keep our coaching staff together. Our philosophy has always been the same.

"The kids come out in the seventh grade and they know what to expect. The rules are the same, the expectations are the same. When we talk to the kids we say, 'A winning season? We'll do that, but will we win the section? I don't know, but we'll have a winning season."

Roccia took over the boys helm in 1976 and the girls team in 1980, when the two squads were joined together. Bob Harsh was the girls coach but became the assistant under Roccia after his retirement after last year.

Dan Sample has been with the team for about 28 years and Ray Peaco is now in his 23rd season on the coaching staff.

"The kids respond to (Roccia) very well," said Peaco. "Just by being around him so long, I can see why he's a good teacher. He brings a lot of those qualities to track."

Competing in a section that includes Butler and North Allegheny has prevented the Raiders from registering a lot of section or WPIAL titles, but the Raiders continue to be a successful program.

The girls squad were WPIAL runner-ups in 1994 and last year, when the teams were able to qualify for the team playoffs. The boys finished fourth in the WPIAL finals in 1995.

"The patience he has and how things have changed," said Peaco with wonderment. "You're looking at three decades. He doesn't play favorites and he can remember all 180 kids on the team and what they do."

Peaco said Roccia has a penchant for stats and works tirelessly on compiling them every day.

"He has a passion for it. He goes home at 5 or 6 o'clock each night and works on it," he said. "The kids appreciate it and they respond."

Last week, the girls team dropped a 79-71 decision to Butler in a battle of unbeatens in the section. A win against Pine-Richland Wednesday will guarantee the Raiders (5-1, 7-1 overall) a spot in the team playoffs.

The outcome of today's Butler-North Allegheny meet will determine whether or not the Raiders are co-champions or runners-up.

Last year's team was second in the section but reached the WPIAL finals and placed second. That team will be a tough act to follow, but Roccia believes this team can do well again.

"This is the best team I've ever had," said Roccia. "Last year was good and very successful (12-4 overall), but I didn't think we had the overall team we have right now."

Roccia also believes next year's team may not be as strong, since several key seniors will graduate.

"Next year, we'll take a severe hit," said Roccia. "We'll lose (sprinter) Jaylan Giuliano, (sprinter) Carrie Wack, (thrower) Anastasia Williams and (hurdler-sprinter) Kim Chapman.

"We'll be able to replace them, but not for awhile. Everyone loses good kids so you just enjoy them while they're here," he added.

Already with an eye to the future, will Roccia stay on with the program into a fourth decade?

"We know he'll be leaving in a couple of years," said Peaco. "And Dan Sample and I know those will be huge shoes to fill.

"We've been with him so long. I kid him sometimes because he'll say 'I'll be leaving soon' and I say 'No, you're not.' "