In the grand scheme of things around the WPIAL, Wilkinsburg's 20-0 win over Leechburg in the regular-season finale did not mean much.

But then again, in the grand scheme of things maybe that win meant a whole lot more.

It was the lone win of the season for the Tigers, but their 499th in school history. As hard as things have been for the players who have stuck it out under coach Cliff Simon the past few years, they enter this season only one game away from a WPIAL milestone.

"That was real big for us," Simon said of the late-October victory. "We rallied around that win. It was important for us. We have had some good offseason workouts and we are trying to keep it positive."

Keeping things positive around the Wilkinsburg locker room has not exactly been an easy task. The team has gone through struggles the past decade with two winless seasons in the past five years and only eight wins combined in the past six years.

The losses have been especially trying for Simon, the athletic director at the school and a former lineman at Wilkinsburg from 1970-72 when it was the losses that were few and far between.

Even further back than that Wilkinsburg was playing for WPIAL titles not just single wins. In 1914 Wilkinsburg won the first WPIAL title. It followed that up by winning the second and third WPIAL titles as well in 1915 and 1916. In all the Tigers have five WPIAL titles with the last one coming in 1957.

Nowadays it is wins that are few and far between at a program where getting players to come out for the team is as much of a challenge as competing on Fridays. The Tigers had 22 players for a recent scrimmage against Allderdice. Simon hopes to maintain a roster of about 30 players for the season.

The season opener on Sept. 5 against Albert Gallatin represents the first time Wilkinsburg has had a chance to reach the 500-win milestone but before every game the past few seasons Simon has reminded his players just how close they are.

The final Friday of the 2008 season, many teams were basking in wins that propelled them into the playoffs or improved their seeding. The Tigers were celebrating a 20-0 road win that snapped a 21-game losing streak. That win was a footnote to most the next day, but many of the Tigers players carried it with them into the offseason.

"For one night everybody was happy," Wilkinsburg quarterback Travis Evans said. "Nobody wanted to go 0-9 again."

Evans has his sights on the 500th win, too, but he remains positive and keeps his eye toward an even bigger goal.

"I think we could get that 500th win but we are also trying to worry about playoffs at the same time," Evans said.

"We are trying to get that win for coach and then as soon as we get that, everyone can start thinking about playoffs."

The players have gotten involved in trying to bolster the numbers as well encouraging friends to come out for the team. Admittedly, it is a hard sales pitch considering the results fellow students have grown accustomed to witnessing.

"It is tough sometimes. All people know about Wilkinsburg is losing," Evans said.

"They said there is no point in playing because we are going to lose anyway. They think we are just going to go 0-9. It is hard to find people. The kids who do play, it tells me they got heart. They never give up. They will do anything for you, they got your back."

Since last season Evans has progressed a great deal. Simon encourages his players to stay involved in athletics in all seasons and Evans has heeded that advice, playing basketball in the winter and running track in the spring.

"Travis has really come a long way," Simon said. "We try to keep kids involved in sports. It helps a great deal. It keeps me quite busy [as athletic director], but it is worth it."

Wilkinsburg opens the season with two non-conference games against Albert Gallatin and Union. The two teams beat Wilkinsburg by an average of 24 points last season.

The 500th win, which has been in range for some time now, will not come easy, but with seven returning offensive starters from a year ago, there are signs of hope for this season.

One of those returning starters is a running back and outside linebacker, Barata Bey, who has been a starter since his sophomore year.

"It has been hard. I have been losing since I have been in ninth grade," Bey said. "It is tough coming out knowing that we've been losing. It's hard but you got to keep pushing."