For most of the season, they have been overshadowed by section rivals Greensburg Central Catholic and Shady Side Academy and by their male counterparts at the school.

Now finally people are starting to recognize the talent on the Jeannette girls' basketball team, thanks in large part to a 17-1 start -- 11-0 in Section 4-AA -- that included wins over Shady Side and Greensburg Central, two private schools that shared the section title last year.

Coach Janine Vertacnik noticed the talent a long time ago, well before this group of seniors was even in the ninth grade. When Vertacnik came to Jeannette seven years ago, she coached the middle school program.

She recognized the talented fifth grade class and saw the potential. Knowing that, she put the team into every winter league and tournament she could find regardless of the level of competition.

"I've been with them since fifth grade, I feel more like a mother than a coach," Vertacnik said.

"I put them in every competitive place I could put them. I could see they were very talented. I put them in tournaments and sometimes they got beat up. They were the shortest kids on the block but here we are eight years later."

Where they are is in the driver's seat of Section 4-AA after winning their first 10 section games, including a sweep of Shady Side Academy and a 57-54 win over Greensburg Central Catholic last week.

The group of seniors, including guard Kayla Cook, the all-time scoring leader in program history, guard Kirstie Cortazzo and forwards Samantha Linsenbigler, Shanice Cook and Tanesha Bone, has come a long way since Vertacnik arrived at the school.

They struggled against the tough competition in middle school but then in eighth grade the group went 16-0 playing against mostly Class AAAA schools.

Vertacnik reminded her team of that 16-0 season on the first day of practice before this season.

"There is no reason we can't go undefeated this year," Vertacnik recalled telling her team.

"We pretty much all agreed and felt that way."

Between the 16-0 eighth grade year and this successful season, there were plenty of bumps in the road. A few players quit the team and one player, Tanesha Bone, was lost for her sophomore season after tearing her left ACL. This year in the ninth game of the season Bone tore her right ACL. She will have surgery Feb. 15 and miss the rest of the season.

As freshmen, the current group of seniors endured a 7-17 season. Their section games sometimes went to a mercy rule, where the clock continues to run when a team is down by 40 points or more in the second half.

"To me that was embarrassing," Ver-tacnik said. "I kind of knew what we were up against when I took over but I knew eventually we would build this up."

It certainly has been built up from the days of smaller crowds and running clocks. This year a few of Jeannette's games have gone to a running clock, but this time because the Jayhawks were up by 40.

In the victory against Greensburg Central last week, fans were turned away at the gate because the game completely sold out, the first time that has happened in program history. Jeannette had to overcome a 10-point deficit to pick up the win and set the stage for what could be a run at a section title. Jeannette has not won a section title since 1986.

Some things, however, do not change. Just as Jeannette was outsized all through middle school and junior high, they are still giving up inches to opponents. Kayla Cook has been their tallest player. In five years coaching the varsity, Vertacnik has never had a 6-foot starter.

Without much height Jeannette has always relied on its speed and a stingy, pressing man-to-man defense.

A pair of juniors Shanae Daye, the second leading scorer on the team, and Shavon Lipscomb are key contributors and freshman Ciara Gregory is a tremendous ball-handler and outside shooter.

Jeannette's bench has been one of the most productive in all the WPIAL. Through its first 16 games the bench had accounted for 272 points. The Jayhawks bench has even outscored a few opponents this season.

Jeannette plays at Riverview tonight and plays host to East Allegheny Monday before the rematch at Greensburg Central Catholic next Thursday that very likely could decide if Jeannette wins the section title outright or shares it with the Centurions.

Mike White's "High School Sports Edition" videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.