JACKSON TWP — "Take the next step" isn't the official motto of the Seneca Valley boys basketball team this season, but it might as well be.

Ever since Vic Giannotta took over as head coach of the squad before the 2004-05 season, the Raiders have improved every year.

Eventually, the team was going to run into history, and it happened this season.

While SV's season is far from over — the Raiders (17-7) play Upper St. Clair in a WPIAL Quad-A first-round playoff game on Saturday — it already has set the program record for wins in a season.

A 56-40 win over Shaler Jan. 29 gave the Raiders 15 victories, breaking the previous mark of 14 set in the 1999-2000 season.

"A lot of hard work has gone into it, and we had a couple of starters coming back from last year's team," said senior point guard Sean Gress.

"It feels great to be part of this team," Gress added. "The younger guys are seeing what it takes to win and, hopefully, they can keep it going in the future."

Giannotta took the SV job in May of 2004.

"I knew a good bit about Seneca Valley," he said. "And I knew they weren't the doormat in basketball that everybody made them out to be."

The Raiders were 2-21 the season before Giannotta arrived and they went 3-21 during his first season.

In 2005-06, SV improved to 6-18 before finishing with an overall record of 13-13 last season, which saw the Raiders defeat Franklin Regional for the first playoff win in program history.

"You need a couple of good players, but you also need them to buy into the system," said Giannotta. "We go into practice every day trying to get better. It sounds like a cliche, but it's the truth.

"The middle school and ninth-grade coaches are doing their job as well, and that helps," added Giannotta.

The Raiders are not a team filled with stars, but they have a number of players who have a knack for hitting the big basket, grabbing a crucial rebound or getting their hands on a game-changing steal.

Junior guard C.J. Brown leads the team in both points (13) and rebounds (10.1).

Senior forward John Fitzpatrick is putting up 12 points and grabbing 6.3 boards every game.

Dan Rohm is second in Butler County with 50 3-pointers.

Gress, Ryan Turner, Matt Vogt, Dustin Anewalt, Nate Herrmann and Christian Durbin have proven to be a solid supporting cast.

The Raiders entered postseason play last year after finishing 4-8 in Section 3.

This year, that record improved to 7-5.

"We're a lot more confident this season," said Brown. "We have the mind-set that we are a good team. We almost beat McKeesport (17-3) and we did beat North Allegheny (22-2).

"That's really given us a lot of confidence."

It shouldn't be a surprise that Giannotta has turned the Raiders around.

Before coming to Seneca Valley, he coached Peters Township to the WPIAL playoffs twice and he led Sewickley Academy to a state title in 1997.

"Coach never gives up on us," said Brown. "He's one of those old school coaches and he always tells us the truth. I appreciate that."

Giannotta focuses his team on the end result, and that philosophy is working with the Raiders.

"The only stat we care about is the Ws," he said. "It's all about taking the next step."