Mike Moccia - Walt Whitman High, Girls' Soccer

It's never easy following in the footsteps of a legend, but Mike Moccia is having fun with it.

Under the direction of Jim Cardon last year, the Walt Whitman High (N.Y.) girls' soccer program reached national heights, including a No. 6 ranking in the country. Cardon stepped away from the team following last season, when the Wildcats went 18-1-1 with a squad largely composed of juniors.

In other words, Cardon didn't leave the cupboard bare. But he also left behind lofty expectations, and Moccia has had to deal with the brunt of them. The Wildcats are ranked No. 3 in the nation and No. 1 in the New York area by SchoolSports.com this year.

"Oh, I hear it all the time," says Moccia, 34. "All of the people in the community tell me that we're going to have a good year. We should have a good year. I look at it this way: We'll either go all the way or I'll have destroyed the program."

He's joking, but the sentiment is clear. Moccia is in a no-win situation. When the chance to take over one of the state's most respected programs arose, Moccia leapt at it. He was finishing up his second season at Half Hollow Hills High (N.Y.) after seven successful years at Sewanhaka High (N.Y.). In his own right, he's an accomplished coach. But there's a catch.

"People are always saying, You have big shoes to fill,'" says Moccia, who teaches at Walt Whitman. "So if we're successful, it's [Cardon's] legacy. If we aren't, Moccia screwed it up."

Don't mistake his tone, however. He's not bitter. There is too much talent returning to Whitman to put him in a bad mood. Beginning with senior standouts Melissa Shulman and Danielle Servedio, a repeat of last season's undefeated regular-season run and a return trip to the state finals (Whitman lost to North Rockland High last fall) might be in order.

"We'll be strong this season, strong for sure," says Moccia. "We have high expectations."