It didn't take long, though, for Benny Pierce to change all that.

Pierce started a high school football program that fall that he would build into a Central Coast Section dynasty, dominating the 1970s the way the San Francisco 49ers dominated the 1980s in the National Football League.

Now, some 46 years after that first season, there's not only a state-of-the-art football field at Saratoga High, there's a brand new scoreboard at the north end of the stadium. And the three words at the base of that scoreboard speak volumes to tell the story of a coaching career. They say, "Benny Pierce Field."

The field bears his name not because Pierce was the first football coach at the school, but rather because of what he did as the head coach there for 36 years.

It was a career befitting a field dedication, and a career that has landed Benny Pierce a place in the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.

"I've been very fortunate," the coach humbly says. "I've had good coaches, good players and good community support."

A grateful community would no doubt say that it goes both ways. It took more than luck for Pierce to lead the Falcons to 17 league championships and a 270-84-4 varsity record.

The San Jose Sports Hall of Fame committee recognized his greatness by making him one of the five inductees to be enshrined in the Hall in 2005.

Joining the longtime Saratoga coach will be Brent Jones, who played football at Leland High School and Santa Clara University before ultimately becoming an All-Pro with the 49ers; Ken Venturi, a golfer from San José State University who joined the PGA tour and won the U.S. Open in 1964; and Barbara and Kathy Jordan, who each won singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon and won the Australian, French and U.S. Opens.

"It's very exciting, and I'm deeply honored," Pierce says. "We've always had a saying at Saratoga--'We do things together.' I'm being honored, but it's really our whole program--our coaches and players. They should all have a piece of that plaque."

It was Pierce, though, who was the master architect in the construction of that program. And he built it from a weak foundation that started with just freshmen and sophomores in 1959.

Saratoga's first varsity season with seniors on the squad was 1961, and it was certainly not an indicator of things to come. The Falcons were 1-7 that year.

"It wasn't the kids; it was inexperience on my part," Pierce recalls, taking full responsibility for the losing year. "I was still learning, so they were at a disadvantage."

But Pierce and his Falcons did learn one very important lesson that fall: "We didn't like losing," he says.

And they didn't lose much after that. Saratoga would win 17 league championships over the next 33 seasons. The Falcons were the Santa Clara County champions in 1971 and CCS champions in 1973, '76, '80 and '87, including perfect 13-0 seasons in '73, '76 and '80. He was named the California High School Coach of the Year in 1976.

Through the 1970s and including that undefeated 1980 season, Pierce's teams posted an incredible 110-15 record. Not even his San José State teammate Bill Walsh could claim such impressive numbers during his remarkable run in the 1980s as the coach of the 49ers.

But the story of his success on the field is more than just Benny Pierce the coach--it's Benny Pierce the man and the leader of young men. No one knows that better than current Saratoga head football coach, Kurt Heinrich.

"I've known him on as many levels as anyone can," Heinrich says. "I was his ballboy when my brother Mike played for him, I played for him and now I've coached with him."

"For me, personally, it's been an awesome experience," he says.

In fact, Heinrich wouldn't be coaching the Falcons were it not for his Saratoga football experience. He says the same is true for his assistant coaches Kevin Tanner, Marco Trapani and Ray Burney.

"That's the only reason I came back," Heinrich says of his return to Saratoga a few years ago. "I love football, but I love the Saratoga tradition even more. The experience was such a good thing for me and my teammates--such a positive experience, such a big part of our lives--we didn't want it to go by the wayside."

Pierce had left the program in good hands when he retired as the head man following the 1994 season and handed the coaching reins to Mike Machado. But after a successful, albeit short run, Machado took a job at Valley Christian.

Saratoga football floundered over the next couple of years. So Heinrich and his friends--all former Saratoga teammates--stepped up to run the show. Pierce, though retired, was never far away. He remains on the sidelines as a consultant and mentor, and his former players are glad to have him there.

"God bless him. He lets us make mistakes and lets us learn," Heinrich says. "We're very lucky."

So are the Saratoga players he still works with.

"I'll tell the players, 'See that man coaching you--that's his name on the scoreboard,' " Heinrich says. "He loves the game, and he still loves the kids. He has a genuine interest in the lives of these young people."

That, no doubt, goes back to his own playing days when a Los Gatos High School coach, Harold Sonntag, took a special interest in his players. And one of them was a young Benny Pierce.

"Harold Sonntag was a big influence in my life," Pierce recalls.

Pierce grew up playing baseball and football in the orchards of Los Gatos in the 1940s before landing at Los Gatos High. He wasn't very big, but he had a burning desire to compete.

"We only had one baseball team at the time, and the uniform they gave me was from the 1930s," he says of his freshman year. "Hey, I was just happy to be on the team and happy to have a uniform."

Sonntag was the baseball coach that season at Los Gatos and took the young Pierce under his wing. Through his guidance and friendship, Sonntag taught Pierce more than just how to throw, hit and catch a baseball--he taught him life lessons that Pierce would use later in his coaching career.

"High school coaches have a great opportunity to have a big influence on young people, like Harold Sonntag did for me," he says. "That's what I always tried to do."

"I think I was always loyal to my kids," he adds. "I don't think winning is the most important thing in the world, but I think preparing to win is. All you can ask is for them to give you 100 percent and to give themselves 100 percent."

Pierce was a "100 percent" athlete in his playing days--because of his size, he had to be. But despite his stature, he was a successful athlete at Los Gatos High, playing football, basketball and baseball and competing on the track and field team.

"I always had aspirations of playing professional baseball," he says, "but when I went to college on a football scholarship, our coach [Bob Bronzan] wouldn't let guys play both sports."

Pro baseball's loss turned out to be high school football's gain. After playing four seasons at San José State and playing a little during his stint in the U.S. Air Force, Pierce returned to Los Gatos to begin his teaching and coaching career.

He had assisted Pete Denevi on the varsity football team at Los Gatos in 1955 before leaving for military duty, but there were no positions open at his former high school when he returned home. There was, however, a new high school opening in Saratoga. He was hired as a teacher, coach and athletic director that fall, and remained there for 36 years. He coached wrestling, baseball, track, badminton, golf and, oh yes, a little football.

His philosophy remained the same throughout the years--keep it simple.

"When Benny was running the show, he was smart enough to know that it's better to understand a few plays and run them well," Heinrich says. "It was execution, pride--do the little things, and the little things will add up to respect."

"Don't make mistakes, don't turn it over," he adds. "Don't give opposing teams the short field.

"It's not how many plays you run, it's how you run them," Pierce says. "If you have to run eight plays in practice to get it right, you run eight plays."

For many years, Saratoga was getting it right.

"We ran the option a lot, like Oklahoma," Pierce says. "I was always looking for misdirection. I knew we wouldn't always have the most physical kids, so we needed angles and advantages to help us. If you've got an angle, you've got an advantage.

"There were some years when we did have some size, then we really did have the advantage."

But the success of the Saratoga program goes deeper than getting the X's and O's right.

"A lot of it has to do with the kind of man that he is," Heinrich adds. "We understand his disdain for foul language, and he expects players to conduct themselves as gentlemen on campus and to get good grades."

Along with that, Pierce credits a higher authority for many of his accomplishments.

"My faith in the Lord had a lot to do with the success that we've had. I'd be remiss if I didn't say that the Lord has blessed me throughout my life," he says. "I have a good family, a good job and I live in a great community with good friends."

Pierce married his high school sweetheart, the former Mignon Hemness, and the couple will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in January with their children, Brenda Skrabe and Larry Pierce, and four grandchildren, Nick and Kelsie Skrabe and Lindsay and Brad Pierce.

Mignon Pierce has been involved in football almost as much as her husband through the years and deserves at least of share of his recognition.

"His wife, Mignon, has had to deal with some cranky times with Coach Pierce," Heinrich says. "Much of the reason for his success is that he has such a great wife. He wouldn't be the same coach if not for her."

And one thing's for certain--he's been one great coach. His numbers--and his San Jose Sports Hall of Fame induction--speak for themselves.

The five new members will be honored at a dinner ceremony at the H.P. Pavilion in November. The date of the induction is yet to be determined, but dinner tickets will begin at $150 apiece. Call 408.288.2936.