While working as athletic director for the Chartiers Valley School District, Gus Marquis commemorated the highest athletic team grade-point average each year by adding it to a banner that hung alongside section and WPIAL title banners in the high school gymnasium.

When Marquis retired in June 2006, the practice ended.

Frank Vulcano, Marquis' replacement, chose not to track team GPAs.

"It was a way to promote that the important thing, even in sports, is still academics," Marquis said, explaining why he started the GPA banner.

He also started the scholar athlete awards, held quarterly for athletes who earn a 3.85 or higher during their athletic season. The athletic department has continued the award ceremony.

"Promoting academics" is a phrase Marquis used several times during his interview.

Vulcano had a different perspective. He said rather frankly that his department was responsible for making sure athletes were in compliance with PIAA standards. Coaches, Vulcano continued, had the option to maintain higher standards.

The difference between Vulcano and Marquis is common in local high schools. For every coach who believes in setting a higher academic standard, there is a coach who trusts parents or PIAA officials to press the grade issue.

PIAA standards require athletes to pass at least four full-credit subjects to be eligible for competition. Their grades are filed in the principal's office at the end of each school week, and if a student fails to meet the minimum requirement on any Friday, he or she is ineligible for competition until the next Saturday.

A Keystone Oaks High School team GPA report finalized last month indicates all teams were far from failing as a whole. Averages range from a 3.64 for girls tennis to a 2.50 for wrestling.

The other three schools in The Signal Item coverage area -- CV, Bishop Canevin and Carlynton -- comply with PIAA standards but do not calculate team GPAs.

For some coaches, however, asking players not to fail is not enough.

"I don't think a 3.0 is asking that much," KO football coach Nick Kamberis said.

On the wall of the KO weight room is a sign with six season goals. One is to have a 3.0 team GPA average. Kamberis said he established the goal to try to get students to do the right thing on and off the field.

The 3.0 team GPA is something to aim for, however. It is not a requirement for each player.

With the amount of time Kamberis spends with his football team, he said it is natural to develop some parent-like ideals.

"I don't think you can just be a football coach any more," Kamberis said. "You have to coach everything -- character, grades."

Kamberis also said athletes who think their athletic prowess will get them into college are often sorely mistaken. When Division I-AA, II and III coaches approach him about recruits, two things they expect from players are a 1000 (a 1500 on the modern equivalent) on the SAT and a 3.0 GPA, he said.

Despite Kamberis' encouragement, his team finished with a 2.75 average on the year, second lowest at KO. He attributed the GPA to the size of his roster and to a number of students whose grades dropped off drastically shortly after the season ended -- the period of time when the players were not in constant contact with Kamberis and his staff.

Ryan Gevaudan, Carlynton's football coach and assistant athletic director, echoed Kamberis' sentiment about the dual role of his job.

"When I got into this, I thought I was just coaching football," he said.

Gevaudan has his players go to teachers for hand-written grade and effort assessments each week.

A lack of coach involvement, however, does not guarantee poor classroom performance. In the case of Mike Belmont, KO's boys' and girls' tennis team coach, the high GPAs came naturally.

Belmont said he is slightly involved with his players' academics but mostly benefits from good students. His girls' team finished with the top GPA at KO and his boys' team's 3.10 tied boys' volleyball for best among the all-male teams.

Dave Oddi, Carlynton's athletic director and baseball coach, takes the hands-off approach one step further. He consciously chooses not to address grades beyond making sure his players are PIAA eligible.

"The kids go through so much in the classroom to just get on the field," Oddi said.

"The role of pushing kids academically is more a parent issue than a coaching issue."