John Woffington has had quite the past few weeks, what with winning his 600th career match as North Allegheny's tennis coach and being inducted into the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

But having achieved those individual accolades and earning the recognition, Woffington is more interested in turning his attention to what could mean nearly as much to him: Leading the Tigers to another WPIAL championship.

North Allegheny was 17-0 in the regular season and earned a bye as the top-seeded team in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAA team tournament. They were scheduled to play a quarterfinal match yesterday against Shady Side Academy, a 5-0 winner against Penn-Trafford in the first round. The semifinals are scheduled for today and the final tomorrow.

"Now that we have the 600th career win and the induction into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, hopefully now we'll concentrate on doing the best we can in the team playoffs," Woffington said. "That's the major order of business now."

North Allegheny has won three WPIAL team championships, the most recent in 2001, although the Tigers did win the 2005 PIAA team title. The top two in the WPIAL qualify for the PIAA championships, which will take place next week.

The strength of the Tigers is not only at the top of the lineup, where first and second singles players Matt Kosovec and Matt Smith were each WPIAL singles quarterfinalists and the pair together took second place at the WPIAL doubles tournament last week, it also is in their depth.

As a show of how deep North Allegheny is, in a match earlier this season the Tigers were missing each of their top three singles players. They still won the match, 5-0.

"It's a very nice combination of real genuine veteran strength at the top, along with some excellent depth," Woffington said.

Kosovec and Smith are the best of friends and four-year starters. They have spent much of the past two seasons going back and forth as the Tigers' first and second singles players. Kosovec enters the postseason as North Allegheny's top player. He took third place in the WPIAL Class AAA singles tournament last month.

Kosovec is ranked 24th among those 18-and-under in the USTA's Middle States region that covers Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and parts of West Virginia; Smith is No. 18. They have played doubles tournaments together at the USTA level and have teamed up all four years of high school to play together.

The best part is that they have gradually advanced further into the WPIAL doubles tournament each season, losing in the first round as freshmen, the quarterfinals as sophomores, taking third place last season and finally qualifying for the PIAA tournament by placing second last week.

"They've been an excellent tandem," Woffington said. "[Kosovec] can do it all. I don't think he has any major weaknesses. He can stay back on the baseline and beat you with groundstrokes or come to the net and put balls away. He has an excellent first serve and is just a very strong all-around player. And you can say the same thing about Matt Smith as well. That's why they complement each other pretty well."

Smith and Kosovec are two of five seniors among the top 12 players on the team, four in the starting lineup. But the Tigers' third singles player is just a freshman. Don't let the fact he is playing third singles fool you -- Jon Ho would be playing at the top of most lineups. Ho is ranked No. 9 in the 16-and-under age bracket of the USTA in Middle States.

"He's a tournament-tough player," Woffington said. "He will be the heir apparent to the No. 1 spot next year."

Ho teamed with junior Andrew Marczak to place fourth in the WPIAL doubles tournament. Marczak normally plays first doubles in the North Allegheny lineup, teaming with senior Sam Gill.

Second doubles is usually occupied by freshman Chris Lippiello and senior Nick Dulac, with sophomore Bennett Salvatora the top option off the bench.

North Allegheny won every match during the regular season either by 5-0 sweep or a 4-1 score. But the seniors on the Tigers remember their freshman season when they also had an undefeated regular season but lost in the WPIAL semifinals and therefore were denied a WPIAL title or chance to win a PIAA championship.

The Tigers lost in the quarterfinals each of the past two seasons.

"I think the seniors, in particular, remember that and I hope we will put together a more determined drive this year, sort of an unfinished business kind of thing," Woffington said.