Volleyball team presents coach with 700th career win
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Marlborough - Many years ago, Al Davis, owner of the National Football League's Oakland Raiders, told his team before a big game out on the west coast, "Just win, baby." On the east coast, Marlborough coach Pete Lepore was listening.

That's pretty much all Lepore has done since beginning his coaching career with the Panthers back in 1982, when he took over the girls basketball team, a job he held until 1990. In 1985, the 55-yearold started coaching girls volleyball and, in 1998, boys volleyball, two positions he continues to coach today.

When the Panthers' girls volleyball team defeated Worcester's North High School in Marlborough's season-opening match this season, Sept. 5, it was Lepore's 700th win as a high school coach.

"It's just a number," Lepore said of the milestone. "It really is. When somebody says you won 700 games as a coach, it doesn't begin to hint at some of the memorable wins and great games included in the total."

Among those great games and memorable wins are the back-to-back state championships that Lepore's girls volleyball team won in 2003- 2004. Lepore's girls basketball and boys volleyball team each advanced to play in a state final under his direction.

"The state title teams and the Central Mass. Tournament championship teams, those were great seasons, sure, but not the most memorable to me," Lepore said. "The first year I coached the girls volleyball team, we were 3-13, but I can still remember how much fun the girls had that year.

"The first year I coached girls basketball, we were 12- 6, which is a good record. We had a fine season," Lepore said. "But what makes that year and that team special and memorable to me is that the three years before I took over, the team only won a combined six games."

Marlborough athletics is near and dear to Lepore. He graduated from the school in 1970 after a career as a two-sport standout, excelling in basketball and baseball. Lepore began teaching math there - a position he still holds - in 1974. Prior to his accepting the teaching position at Marlborough in 1974, Lepore graduated from Framingham State College, where he lettered in basketball.

This season could be another memorable one for the Panthers. The team was 7-2 entering its Oct. 3 home match against Worcester's South High. Marlborough won its first seven games - over Worcester North, Millis, Westborough, Worcester Doherty, Algonquin, North Middlesex and Wachusett, before losing to Milford and Westborough.

Senior captains Sophia McCarthy, Amanda Scott and Meghan Farrell are this year's team leaders both on and off the court, having started for Lepore since they were sophomores.

"Those three really carried us back in 2006 after we lost almost our entire team to graduation," Lepore said. "They've worked hard, especially this off-season, to make this year another memorable season."

Rounding out the Panthers' regular starting lineup are Amanda Scott's younger sisters - sophomore twins Melissa and Angela - as well as junior Catherine Vacca and sophomore Daisy Jordan.

"The entire team has really played hard and pushed each other," Lepore said. "I thought we had a chance over time this year to be pretty good, but not this fast. I never thought we would win our first seven right out of the gate, especially when you look at some of the good teams we defeated."