200 Wins and Counting: Girls Hoops Coach Catanzaro Reaches Milestone

The number 200 leaps out as a summation of Vince Catanzaro's successful turnaround of the Upper Dublin girls' basketball team.

The Flying Cardinals coach, who took over a mostly irrelevant program in the 2001-02 season, already stands at 206 since reaching the milestone with his third win of the season.

The actual total means far less to the longtime coach than the message it sends.

"It says the program is going strong," Catanzaro said. "It's 20 wins a year and a big accomplishment in that sense. It tells you that the program has been working for 10 years. A lot of kids come out to play and know what to expect before we start. We want to keep getting better."

Catanzaro, 57, was unsure how long he'd stay when he assumed the head coaching position for the 2000-01 season, after one year as an assistant. He only knew that he remembered successful seasons from when his younger sister, Jane [Catanzaro] Delaney played in the mid 80s.

A former baseball player, football player and wrestler at Upper Dublin before graduating in 1972, Catanzaro was told he was too rough for the basketball team.

"I wanted to be on the team, even if I didn't play much," he said. "They told me I was too physical, and you can't go out there crazy."

To get his hoops fix, Catanzaro would play almost daily after football practice. When each of his two daughters played basketball in the late 90s and 2000, the teams struggled.

"Part of the problem was that they didn't have enough girls, so they used the ninth graders because no one wanted to come out," he said. "It wasn't a good situation. I couldn't watch the games. I decided to get involved."

Already retired from a printing firm, Catanzaro started coaching girls' basketball with the Upper Dublin Junior Athletic Association in 1995, and worked with many of the girls who made up the high school team. Taking over the Flying Cardinals posed a natural challenge.

In his first game as head coach, Upper Dublin lost to North Penn, a game in which then Knights coach Jim Crawford Jr. earned his 300th win.

"A couple of girls on the North Penn team asked to use a certain ball because it was going to be his 300th win," Catanzaro said. "I said, 'Yeah?' OK, use it.' They should've waited until after the game to ask."

A little more than a decade later, on Dec. 13, senior guard Taylor Bryant poured in 14 points to pace the Cardinals to a 53-38 win over Lansdale Catholic, and Catanzaro reached 200 wins.

His career record now sits at 206-76. Through the wins, the Flying Cardinals have developed a proper rivalry with crosstown neighbor Cheltenham as two of the Suburban One Conference American Conference's elite teams.

Upper Dublin's quick rise culminated in an SOL Freedom Division title in the 2003-04 season. After SOL realignment, the Flying Cardinals broke the Panthers' grip on titles by taking the American Conference crown the next season.

The schools tied for the conference title in 2006-07, but the Cardinals captured the District One AAAA title that year, led by Kathryn Stockbower, Rory Yerkes and Lisa Harchut, the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,888 points.

The Cardinals beat Cheltenham on their way to the district crown.

"That was one of the most memorable wins because beating Cheltenham told the kids that they could win," Catanzaro said.

Catanzaro's teams have always been well disciplined, in large part because of his strict style. He'll never be confused with a softie on the court, but his success can't be questioned.

"We were lucky to have a talented group come through all at once," said Stockbower, a 1,000-point scorer at Upper Dublin who went on to set . "It was exciting because as the team got better, we got more support from the community and sold-out gyms for our rivalry games. That was a neat experience."

The "neat experiences" are continuing. The Cardinals are 9-1.

"Vince's love of the sport and passion for the game are evident every time he steps onto the floor," Upper Dublin athletic director Hope Donnell said. "What may be perceived as a gruff exterior is just a front for a man who believes in his players and dedicates his life to helping them be successful both on and off the court."

Other players went on to success beyond Upper Dublin, as Harchut (Harvard), Shannon Ferguson (Rider), Rory Yerkes (Albright), Shira Newman (Millersville) and Jaclyn Hilf (Ursinus) have all done well at the college level.

Catanzaro is fine where he is.

"This keeps me going, gets me out of the house," Catanzaro said. "I wanted to coach the girls' team, and only wanted the Upper Dublin job. I was very fortunate."