Architect of San Pedro softball program that won its ninth L.A. City Section title in the last 10 years is "surprised” by top overall coaching honor. Also chosen for statewide recognition is Howard Miller from North of Torrance and Alan Borges from St. Bernard's of Eureka.

By Ronnie Flores, Managing Editor
Contributing: Paul Muyskens, Mark Tennis

When you've been the dominant program in your respective CIF section for over two decades, adding another title to the mantle might not be so unexpected.

At every level of sport, however, a championship season carries special meaning, even for a program that has won nine of the last 10 L.A. City Section softball championships, 10 of the last 12 and 13 of 18.

Such is the case for the San Pedro softball program and its head coach for the last 23 seasons, Tony Dobra. Going into the 2009 season, Dobra had to replace all-state pitcher Taylor Petty (Long Beach State), talented leadoff hitter Korin Cuico (UNLV) and all-state catcher Perelini Koria (Arizona) and her 45 career home runs off a team that finished 29-3 and ranked No. 11 in the state.

Dobra's new crop of girls responded in a big way, using timely hitting and superb defense to claim yet another L.A. City Section title with a 28-4 record and a No. 15 final rating.

For his program's sustained excellence and because of his penchant for continuously molding new talent into a championship-quality club, today Dobra has been named as the 2009 CalHiSports.com State Coach of the Year.

"This is my 13th title and it was a very unique one," remarked Dobra, who has won more reported section tiles than any other coach in state history. "While there are always a couple of kids on the team from the year before, I was thinking 'we're not going to be able to replace them (Petty, Koria, etc.).' I didn't know what to expect this season to tell you the truth."

What transpired was yet another memorable season filled with come-from-behind victories, instead of fellow L.A. City and Marine League teams getting their licks in against a young team to atone for past losses. In a key Marine League contest against rival Carson to close out the regular season, Dobra's charges were trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh with one out and nobody on. They eventually pulled out the win to secure the program's 10th consecutive league title.

In the L.A. City Section title contest, the Pirates trailed another Marine League foe, Banning of Wilmington, 6-3, with two outs in the sixth inning. You can guess what happened next. Pedro scored three runs in that inning and clinched the city title in the seventh with a dramatic two-out single by Kayla Monroy that scored Holly Stevens.

Stevens (a Pittsburgh recruit and one of only three seniors on Dobra's roster) Hannah Degaetano and Kailee Cuico, both juniors, led the way offensively. The lineup was actually strong from top to bottom and despite some heavy graduation losses, a strong tradition and Dobra's coaching approach helped carry the Pirates to another banner season.

With his selection, Dobra becomes only the second coach from the L.A. City Section softball ranks to earn the state's top honor since 1974, In 1985, Woodland Hills El Camino Real's Neils Ludlow was named state coach of the year after his club finished 19-0 and No. 3 in the state's final AAAA rankings.

Ironically, it was Ludlow's program that Dobra wanted to emulate when he took over the reigns at the school on the hill above Gaffey Street two years after Ludlow was honored. Although El Camino and San Pedro have completely dominated L.A. City Section softball since Dobra took over as coach and even after Ludlow retired following the 2000 season, Dobra's program has come a long way since losing to Ludlow's girls in the 1988 L.A. City Section final.

"I remember we lost 5-0 and was thinking, 'Wow, we got to the finals,"' recalled Dobra, whose program along with ECR's has combined to win the last 22 section titles. "The very next year we lost 1-0 and that was the first time I thought, 'We could have won that game.' I wanted my program to be just like his. He (Ludlow) was the model of how to do it."

Like any good program, Dobra has been blessed with good players. San Pedro's alumni list since Dobra has been the head coach reads like a Who's Who in the annals of L.A. City Section softball. Meagan Moore was his first dominant pitcher and she was followed by 1992 City Player of the Year Melissa Elgin, Victoria Brucker (who now goes by the name Victoria Ruelas and first gained fame by becoming the first female to play in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.), Petrina Martinez (Oregon State), three-time City Player of the Year Natalie Tam, Wynter Turner (Texas) and Ashley Esparza (Penn State), among others.

While his program does have talent year in and year out thanks to strong feeder programs, an occasional player that comes to his program though San Pedro's Marine Science Magnet, and his players' recent exposure to year-round club ball, Dobra might not have won all those city titles without a proven coaching philosophy, dedicated assistants and without support from his family and former players.

"I try to make my players feel comfortable and relaxed," explained Dobra, who in 29 years as a head coach (including six at Mary Star of San Pedro) has compiled 627 victories, No. 4 on the all-time state list. "Where my players might have input, they know they will be listened to and that makes them feel comfortable. My girls probably get tired of me telling them stories about our players from the past, but that's (upholding tradition) what we try to do. It doesn't matter if its a role player or a star player, six or seven of them (former players) will come to practice every year. It makes me feel good that they are comfortable playing catch or throwing batting practice to our girls."

Dobra, a Long Beach State graduate, would like to think his reputation as a "player's coach" and not one as a hard-driven personality that only cares about wins and losses has helped his program win over 82 percent (627-135-2) of its games during his coaching tenure at his alma mater and nearby Mary Star.

"I won't ever be confused for Bobby Knight," Dobra jokingly stated.

"This past season, we had eight come from behind wins," Dobra added. "Over the years, we've have a lot of close games in the playoffs and those two schools (us and El Camino Real) have a tendency to win those games. I tend not to panic and I would think it rubs off on the kids. They are confident."

Dobra has definitely had support in his journey from a coach that was giddy to lose in his first trip to the section finals to one whose program is expected to win, and confident it can, every time it takes the diamond.

"Wow, I am kind of surprised a City coach would win this honor," said Dobra, whose club went 8-2 against CIF Southern Section schools this past season. "My assistant coach Allan Moore has been with me 22 of my 23 years here and has really been a positive influence. I'm very flattered...on behalf of my father Sam, my mother Jackie and wife Pam, I thank you for this honor. Without their support I couldn't do it."

Congratulations to Dobra, his immediate family and his extended softball family from Cal-Hi Sports.

Our two other state coaches of the year and our special updated list of all-time state coaches of the year follows.

Medium Schools:
Howard Miller (North, Torrance)
Despite only having a 17-12 record entering the playoffs, Miller had his Saxons ready for when it mattered the most as they pulled off an impressive feat by winning their second straight Southern Section championship. The Saxons' section championship last season was the first in school history as they went 24-10 and defeated Torrance in the Division V section finals. This year, Miller's team and the rest of the Pioneer League was moved up to Division IV, but the Saxons still got it done in the postseason, defeating Pioneer League regular season champ El Segundo, 5-3, in the final. Miller is the first coach from the South Bay area of L.A. County to be state medium schools coach of the year. His school isn't too far from San Pedro, home of Tony Dobra, the 2009 overall state softball coach of the year.

Small Schools:
Alan Borges (St. Bernard's, Eureka)
It would have been hard for us to not select Coach Borges for this honor after turning a 3-15 Lady Crusaders record from last season into an undefeated 25-0 record this year. Led by several freshman who weren't around for last year's tough season, the Lady Crusaders capped off their undefeated season with a 6-2 win over Humboldt-Del Norte rival Ferndale for their first North Coast Section Division VI championship in 15 years. St. Bernard's also ended No. 1 in the final Division V state rankings. Borges is the second from the Redwood Empire to be small schools state coach of the year in softball. The first was Margaret Fitzgerald of Cloverdale in 2005.

Updated List
State Softball Coaches
Of The Year

(Selected by Cal-Hi Sports)

2009 - Tony Dobra, San Pedro (28-4)
2008 - Duane Zauner, Lake of the Pines Bear River (29-3)
2007 - Mary Jo Truesdale, Sacramento Sheldon (29-1)
2006 - John Perez, Corona Santiago (26-5)
2005 - Art Banks, Roseville Woodcreek (28-6)
2004 - Pete Ackermann, Westlake Village Oaks Christian (34-1)
2003 - Rob Weill, Garden Grove Pacifica (31-2)
2002 - Brad Griffith, San Diego Mira Mesa (35-1)
2001 - Gary Walin, Thousand Oaks (24-5)
2000 - Jo Ann Byrd, Corona (28-4)
1999 - Jim Liggett, Belmont Carlmont (35-4)
1998 - Joe Given, Salinas Notre Dame (30-2-1)
1997 - Alan Dugard, Irvine Woodbridge (34-2)
1996 - Nancy Acerrio, Chula Vista Hilltop (27-2)
1995 - Marie Dean, Fremont Washington (27-0)
1994 - Joe Gonzalez, Tustin Foothill (25-7)
1993 - Jill Matyuch, Covina Charter Oak (29-0-1)
1992 - Jeff Carlovsky, Escondido (26-2)
1991 - Kevin Newman, San Jose Gunderson (33-2)
1990 - Susie Calderon, Huntington Beach Marina (28-5)
1989 - Sharon Coggins, Ventura Buena (28-2)
1988 - Rich Kerr, San Lorenzo Arroyo (29-1)
1987 - Bob Regpala, Stockton Lincoln (30-0)
1986 - Dick Barnes, El Monte Arroyo (22-1)
1985 - Neils Ludlow, Woodland Hills El Camino Real (19-0)
1984 - Aaron Ishikawa, Stockton Lincoln (37-1)
1983 - Carol Hamilton, San Diego Madison (23-1)
1982 - Rich Spiekerman, Lodi (29-3)
1981 - Leslie Steffen, Hanford (20-4)
1980 - Bob Bush, Santa Maria Righetti (29-0)
1979 - Barbara Weding, Santa Rosa Montgomery (26-1)
1978 - Peggy Linville, Fairfield Armijo (23-0)
1977 - Betsy Ward, Huntington Beach Marina (17-0)
1976 - Janet Balsley, Chula Vista Hilltop (17-0)
1975 - Sally Carmen, Downey Warren (19-1)
1974 - Sandi Behrmann, El Segundo (undefeated)

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