Mars girls basketball coach Dana Petruska has faced many opposing coaches in her nearly three decades in the varsity game.

But she is about to face a foe of a different sort.

When her Planets (7-4) play at Deer Lakes (5-4) on Monday, Petruska’s game strategies will be matched against those of her son, Dave.

A 2008 Mars High graduate, Dave Petruska served as an assistant coach under his mother at Deer Lakes the last three seasons. When Dana Petruska was approved last summer to return as head coach at Mars, where she had previously coached for 19 seasons, the Lancers’ job was vacant and that opened the door for Dave, who took over in October.

“When he got the job, I wished him luck,” Dana said. “I told him that it will be tough at first because you have to make a lot of quick decisions, but I told him to go with his gut.

“Dave has the patience and vision I think coaches need to have,” she added. “He is able to see the positives in the kids he’s coaching and gets the best out of his players. To me, that’s a sign of a good coach.”

Dana Petruska helped foster her son’s love of coaching.

“My senior year of high school was my mom’s first year at Deer Lakes,” Dave said. “That’s when I really started to pay attention to what it takes to run a program and I gained a passion for coaching.”

Dave Petruska attended the University of Dayton, where he gained valuable experience while working with the women’s basketball team.

“There are a few similarities between my coaching style and my mom’s, especially when it comes to running drills in practice,” said Dave. “But I also have been influenced by what I learned at Dayton and from my older brother, Jimmy (women’s head coach at St. Vincent College). I want to promote myself as my own coach.”

That said, Dave has a great respect for his mother’s coaching abilities.

“She gets her players to buy into her passion for the game,” he said. “They feed off of her intensity.”

So when he faces her on Monday, Dave knows it won’t be just another coach at the other end of the floor.

“I’m trying to remind myself that it’s just another game, even though I know it’s more than that,” he said. “I just need to stay calm and keep my players calm.”

Dave has earned the allegiance of another family member for Monday’s game; his father, Jim.

“Maybe it would have bothered me 20 years ago,” said Dana, “but not now. As a new coach, I think it’s important that Dave has that support. I’m rooting for Dave, too, just not against us.”

As Section 1-AAA opponents, Mars and Deer Lakes will play each other again, Jan. 28 at Mars. But the first time facing each other will make for a memorable night come Monday.

“It will be emotional,” Dana said. “We are both competitive coaches and will be coaching to win. But win or lose, there will be some tears in the receiving line after the game.”