Panthers Win!!!!!!

Minersville Battlin' Miners 0
Panther Valley Panthers 82

District XI AA Playoffs

Tamaqua
Blue Raiders
8 - 2
Vs
Panther Valley
Panthers
8 - 2

Friday, November 13
7:00 PM

Panthers blank Minersville

Reported on Saturday, November 7, 2009

By ANDREW STEINMETZ asteinmetz@tnonline.com

As Panther Valley ended their regular season on a good note with a 28-0 shutout win over visiting Minersville last night, it would have liked to work on some things in preparation for the upcoming District 11 Championships.

However, turning the ball over five times in the game was definitely not one of them.

Despite the lack of ball control, the Panthers did improve to 8-2 to and will move on to face Tamaqua in the first round next Saturday.

"A win is a win and we did what we had to do," Panther Valley head coach Frank Damian said. "Regardless, we're happy to get the win and end the regular season on a winning note."

In spite of losing the ball on numerous occasions throughout the game, the locals never seemed to lose control of the game and the inevitable win. They maintained their status as the better team on the field and will charge full steam ahead into their clash with the rival Raiders next Saturday night.

Early on in the contest, PV scored on its second possession. The Panthers took the ball on the Miners' 45 and after four plays, senior quarterback Casey Lawrence connected with sophomore Mike Weaver for a 30-yard score. After the PAT missed, the locals took a 6-0 lead with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Miners had trouble corralling the pigskin and the Panthers took advantage with Jake Dunn recovering the ball on the Miners' 26. Five plays later, it was Kyle McAvoy taking it in from the one for a 12-0 lead with 1:26 remaining in the first frame.

The Miners challenged on the following possession but were stalled as Lawrence intercepted a Cole Weachock pass at the Miners' 19.

From there, the victors put together a five-play, 81-yard drive resulting in a 42-yard scoring run by Jake Dunn. That ballooned the PV lead to 18-0, but McAvoy ran in the two-pointer for the 20-0 lead with 6:35 remaining before half.

The Panthers would continuously get into the Miners' red zone, but to credit the visitors, they didn't yield, stopping them short on several opportunities.

A Panther Valley fumble to start the second half, gave way to an abbreviated Miner possession and the Panthers took over on the visitors' 48. After four plays, senior tailback Eli Vega found daylight, breaking loose for a 30-yard trot for the final score of the evening.

Setting up for the PAT, Lawrence caught the snap, tossed to senior kicker Gregory Pecha, who found a darting McAvoy in the end zone for the two-point conversion. That would end the scoring on the night, as the Panthers took a 28-0 lead with eight minutes left in the third.

The remainder of the game wasn't pretty for the locals as they tried refining their offense and defense for the ever-important weeks to come. However, some turnovers ensued and may have proven costly, had it not been for the pre-established and comfortable lead.

"Our defense did great for us tonight, earning the shutout tonight," Damian mentioned. "For the seniors in their last home game, I thought they did a great job and ended it on a good note and they've been solid and excellent for us all season. Now hopefully we can stay away from any sicknesses and remain healthy for the days to come and head into next week with a solid performance.

Spartans win AFL title

Reported on Saturday, October 31, 2009

By JASON BORIS jboris@tnonline.com

Published on The Times News

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – In 2007, VH-1 canceled the reality series "Hogan Knows Best."

During that same year, the North Schuylkill football team seemed to be on the verge of being blacklisted after suffering through a miserable 0-10 season.

Last night in Fountain Springs, a new episode of "Hogan Knows Best" debuted.

...only this time, the reality is that the undefeated North Schuylkill Spartans are your 2009 Anthracite Football League Champions!

Senior Zach Hogan stole the show with two clutch interceptions deep in North Schuylkill territory and punctuated the game with a 44-yard touchdown reception with 6:39 remaining to give North Schyulkill (9-0) the 12-8 victory.

By virtue of Catasauqua defeating Northern Lehigh last night, next week's trip to the Silver Bowl will carry high stakes for the Spartans. A win against rival Mount Carmel will not only give them their first undefeated regular season in school history, it will also clinch the top-seed for the District 11, Class AA Tournament.

"The kids on this team have heart and desire and that's why they were able to win this game tonight," stated North Schuylkill head coach Rick Geist. "When things weren't going good for us, we had a program full of quitters, but the kids out on this field tonight are winners. They're the kids that stuck with it and believed in themselves. Our team is full of tough kids with heart and that's how you win championships."

Defense also wins championships and North Schuylkill is the best of the best.

Allowing just 94.8 yards per game, the Spartans made their presence felt on Panther Valley's opening possession. Following Kyle McAvoy's 24-yard run on the first play of the game, the Spartans stuffed McAvoy on a fourth-and-one carry on the Spartans 29-yard line.

North Schuylkill then engineered a 14-play, 70 yard drive that chewed almost nine minutes off the clock. The Spartans drove all the way down to the Panthers goal line, but coughed up the ball on a fumbled quarterback-center exchange on a third-and-goal from the one yard line.

The Panthers then drove the ball to midfield, but Hogan thwarted the drive with his first of two interceptions on the night.

North Schuylkill capitalized on the turnover and drove 76 yards in 12 plays for the first score of the game. With 1:17 remaining until halftime, Kody Flail converted a fourth-and-three on an option pitch to the right. Thirty-four yards later, Flail was in the end zone for a 6-0 Spartans lead, a lead they would take into halftime as Hogan picked off his second Casey Lawrence pass with 14 seconds remaining in the second quarter to stop another Panther Valley scoring opportunity.

Field conditions were horrible all night and the muddy quagmire seemed more fit for horse racing than a football game. While both teams had to deal with the deplorable conditions equally, it was evident that Panther Valley's style of offense suffered the most.

"Their style of offense (smashmouth football) was clearly better suited to play in those tough conditions out there," said Panther Valley head coach Frank Damian. "Field position played a huge factor because it seemed like we were stuck in the muddy side of the field the whole night and we just couldn't get out of it. However, I'm not going to use that as an excuse, we were just beaten by a better team tonight."

The Panthers (7-2) did cash in midway through the third quarter when Ryan Poeldnurk hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence. Lawrence then converted the two-point conversion with a diving lunge into the end zone for an 8-6 Panthers lead.

Panther Valley held a two-point lead until midway through the fourth quarter, but the Spartans defense once again answered the call. After forcing Panther Valley to punt on its next two possessions with two three-and-outs, the Spartans set up shop at the Panthers 44-yard line with 6:51 left on the clock. On the first play of the drive, quarterback Tom Ferrari scrambled in the pocket, eluded several defenders and let loose a 44-yard bomb that found Hogan streaking in front of his defender in the end zone. The conversion run failed and North Schuylkill found themselves back on top 12-8.

"Ferrari scrambled around and bought himself some time and Hogan just snuck by our coverage and made a great catch," stated Damian.

The Panthers final drive of the night also stalled, thanks to Kody Flail's sack on Lawrence for a 12-yard loss deep in their own territory. Panther Valley managed just 53 yards of offense in the second half.

"We hung with a good team tonight but a play here and a play there ended up being the difference in the game," added Damian. "We're obviously disappointed but this isn't the end of our season. We have to refocus and regroup for Minersville next week and be ready for the playoffs the week after that."

PV leaves Tams in dark

BOB FORD/TIMES NEWS Panther Valley's Jake Dunn (3) hauls in a pass as Tamaqua's Tom Robin (26) defends. Dunn turned the play into an 81 yard TD.

Published on The Times News

By JOE PLASKO jplasko@tnonline.com

The Homecoming crowd at Panther Valley Stadium had to endure two rain-soaked delays Friday night, after the lights went dark twice for a total of 25 minutes.

When the power was restored, it was the Panthers who played lights out" defense in the red zone against visiting archrival Tamaqua.

The Blue Raiders made three trips inside the PV 20, only to be held without a touchdown.

The Panthers' prime time passing combination of quarterback Casey Lawrence and wide receiver Jake Dunn took care of the rest, hooking up for a pair of scores to provide all the electricity PV needed for a 20-2 triumph in an Anthracite League battle in Lansford.

The victory snapped a four-game losing streak against Tamaqua and was the fifth straight win for the Panthers, who improved to 7-1 overall and remained unbeaten in Anthracite competition at 6-0.

This is one of our biggest rival games and the team we wanted to beat all year,"said Dunn, who caught four passes for 117 yards, as well as a two-point conversion. Last year we lost to Tamaqua and that kept us out (of the playoffs). It's a huge win for us."

The Panthers will travel to North Schuylkill, which remained undefeated (8-0 overall, 6-0 league) with a 40-0 win over Mahanoy Area, next Friday with first place on the line.

Tamaqua (6-2 overall, 4-2 league) held the momentum early.

The Raiders stopped a Panther drive at the Tamaqua 36 following the opening kickoff when the lights went out for the first time with 9:32 left in the first quarter, the result of a car hitting a utility pole.

When play resumed, the Raiders used the running of Grif Griffiths, who had a big night with 181 yards on 29 carries, to move to the PV 11 before running out of downs.

A bad snap by the Panthers resulted in a fumble that they recovered on their own 2. Griffiths then tackled Kyle McAvoy in the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Tamaqua lead with 4:19 left in the first quarter.

The Raiders took the ensuing kickoff and marched to the PV 11, where fullback Garth Lakitsky was stopped on fourth down and one.

Four plays later Lawrence went up top for Dunn, who outleaped a defender near midfield and raced 81 yards untouched to paydirt. Brock Mitchell's conversion kick was blocked, but Panther Valley had stemmed the tide with a 6-2 lead at the 8:20 mark of the second stanza.

We got the match-up we wanted there, and we're going to throw it up, because it's like playing in the back yard with Casey and Jake," said Panther Valley coach Frank Damian. Big time players make big plays in big games."

Tamaqua took the second half kick-off and drove to the Panther 34, where a third down sack of QB Ryan Palsgrove by Brock Mitchell halted the threat.

Following a punt to the PV 8, the Panthers went on a 12 play, 92 yard scoring march, capped by a 20 yard TD toss by Lawrence to Dunn, who caught the pigskin in the flat and bulled his way into the end zone after picking up a pair of tacklers at the 5.

On the conversion, Lawrence tossed the ball to McAvoy, who lofted it for Dunn, who made a grabbing snag for the two-pointer and a 14-2 Panther advantage with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

The Raiders had a chance to cut into the deficit when Griffiths broke up the middle on a 53 yard scamper before Mike Weaver dragged him down at the PV 10. Tamaqua could move only to the 5 before the Panthers held once more on fourth and goal.

Our defense has been bend but don't break all year," said Damian. One of the slights against us in the past is that we weren't physical, but our kids took that to heart. They really dedicated ourselves in the offseason to becoming a physical football team, and our kids proved it tonight."

The Panthers tacked on another TD late in the fourth quarter after the Raiders turned it over on downs on their own 24. Kevin Schaller did the scoring honors on a six-yard run.

The Raiders ended up outgaining PV 239-221, had an edge in time of possession and didn't turn the ball over, but came up short the one place it mattered.

From the 20 to the 20, I thought we played a real good game, but we just didn't push it in when we had to,"said Tamaqua coach Sam Bonner. They are a tough red zone team. The most important thing on offense is scoring points, and we didn't do that."

Panthers roll over Blue Devils

Reported on Saturday, October 17, 2009

DOUG EDWARDS/TIMES NEWS Panther Valley's Jake Dunn (3) stands up Shenandoah's Eric Whalen.

Special to the Times-News

Published on The Times News

So much for the Panther Valley football team being caught by any potential trap set by Shenandoah Valley.

With the Anthracite Football League title there for the taking the next two weeks with games against Tamaqua and North Schuylkill, there were some who theorized the Panthers were heading into a so-called "trap game" Friday against the visiting Blue Devils. Well, so much for theories.

Panther Valley took care of business behind three touchdown passes by quarterback Casey Lawrence, a touchdown run out of punt formation by Jake Dunn and two goal-line stops inside the 5 for a 26-8 victory. Now, the Panthers (6-1, 5-0 AFL), who kept pace with North Schuylkill (6-0 AFL) as the only unbeaten league teams, can concentrate on next week's showdown against arch-rival Tamaqua (4-1 AFL).

"We didn't even have to say anything about looking past Shenandoah Valley (3-4, 2-4 AFL)," Panther Valley coach Frank Damian said. "That's a solid football team that's had some tough luck, but is just a couple of plays away from coming in here with just one loss in the league.

"After what happened to us last year and not making the playoffs, we aren't about to look past anyone. It was at this stage of the season last year that we lost back-to-back games, so we know what we have to do every week."

Dunn was the main antagonist of the Blue Devils, scoring untouched on a 67-yard reception from Lawrence in the second quarter for a 12-0 lead. He then broke the game open in the third quarter with a 47-yard touchdown run out of punt formation for a 26-0 lead.

"I have the option to run or kick the ball, and all the coaches tell me is to make sure I make a good decision," Dunn said. "When I saw a lot of green to the right side, I just took off."

Any hope of at least extending the Panthers realistically ended for Shenandoah when Eric Whalen, who rushed 28 times for 106 yards, was stopped on fourth-and-goal at the 1 as time ran out in the first half. Panther Valley had taken a 12-0 lead when Jeff Corby capped an 11-play, 60-yard drive in the first quarter by catching a 22-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence on fourth-and-13 and Dunn's touchdown reception on the first play following a punt.

"We had been able to loosen up their defense just enough by running the ball, so we though the pass would be open," Dunn said of his touchdown reception. "I was wide open coming across the middle and Casey made a perfect pass."

Lawrence completed 5-of-14 passes for 146 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brock Mitchell to cap an eight-play, 45-yard drive midway though the third quarter. With the Devils keying on running back Kyle McAvoy (9-36), Panther Valley was limited to 107 yards on 28 carries, but the ability of Lawrence and his receivers to make big plays in a cold, driving rain was the difference.

Midway though the second quarter, the Devils used the power running of Whalen and Bob Conrad (13-80) for an 18-play, 79-yard drive that featured 17 running plays. A 12-yard run by Whalen set up a first-and-goal at the 2, but after Conrad was stopped at the 1, the Devils spiked the ball to stop the clock and save their final timeout, Whalen lost 2 yards and was then stopped at the 1 as time ran out.

Shenandoah scored late on an eight-play, 43-yard drive on a 2-yard run by Whalen, and the Devils were stopped on their next possession when on fourth-and-goal, Whalen was thrown for a 2-yard loss to the 5. By then, however, the outcome had been decided after Dunn scored on the fake punt, hurdling a defender at the 25 on his way to the end zone.

Shenandoah finished with 195 yards rushing on 48 carries, but the Panthers harassed quarterback Dan Merva into a 2-for-10 passing performance, with John Onisick making both receptions for 38 yards. Linebacker Ryan Richards had an interception for the Panthers for the game's only takeaway, stopping a third-quarter Shenandoah drive at the 19.

Panther Valley
crushes Colts

Reported on Saturday, October 10, 2009

Bob Ford/TIMES NEWS Panther Valley quarterback Casey Lawrence looks for a receiver while Marian defender Anthony Damiano applies pressure.

By ROD HECKMAN rheckman@tnonline.com

Published on The Times News

Panther Valley's offense is finally clicking on all cylinders.

And it's no coincidence that they're doing so with the improvement of the Panthers' offensive line.

With only two returning starters up front, two players moving there from the backfield, and others stepping in, it took some time for the men in the trenches to gel.

Now that they have experience together, the numbers are getting scary.

Friday night at Marian, PV racked up an impressive 334 yards by halftime and rolled to a 47-14 Anthracite Football League victory over the Colts.

"We had (Greg) Pecha and (Andrew) Tucker coming back and we knew they worked well together, but we moved (Ryan) Richards from fullback to center and (Jason) Harrison also moved. We knew they had to get a feel for each other.

"And then we also have (Anthony) Staivecki, who's a sophomore, coming in and he's not making mistakes and playing steady football. It all starts with the guys up front. I know we have some talented skill players but I can't say enough about the guys up front.

"Richards and Harrison both played fullback last year. They're selfless kids. They offered to play the line for us this year because they knew we'd be weak there. It was a work in progress early on, but now they're one of the main reasons we're doing what we're doing."

Panther Valley quarterback Casey Lawrence has probably been the main beneficiary of the improved O-line. Not only did he have time to throw for 148 first-half yards and a pair of touchdowns, he also had holes to scramble through when he decided to tuck and run.

Lawrence also finished with 141 yards and a score on the ground.

"This was another breakout game for our offense," said Lawrence. "We wanted to come out right away and take it to them.

"We started off the season slow, but we're getting there. I still think we can be a lot better team than what we are right now."

Lawrence and Co. did take it to Marian right from the start. In fact, they took it to them the whole first half.

PV (5-1) scored on all five of its possessions in the opening frames, building a 34-0 advantage.

Kyle McAvoy scored on runs of 11 and four yards. Jeff Corby was wide-open in the end zone for a 30-yard TD catch while Ryan Poeldnurk took a screen pass and went 27 yards for another tally.

"We just did not physically match up with them," said Marian head coach Stan Dakosty, whose team fell to 1-5. "They have an excellent football team. We just have to keep plugging away and hopefully there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

"They put a lot of pressure on you. They put pressure on you with their athletic skill. They're tough to defense and when they get into the open field they're tough to bring down."

Dakosty saw his sophomore back Paul Martin get into the open field a few times in the second half. Martin, who finished with 120 yards, accounted for all his team's scoring with TD runs of 15 and 26 yards and a two-point conversion.

PV closed out the scoring with less than a minute to play when Joe Revell broke loose down the sideline for 64 yards.

"A lot of what Lawrence does with his legs he does on his own," said Damian. "We tried to throw the ball tonight because we knew they were a little depleted in the secondary.

"When things weren't there he knows he has the green light to run. He makes a lot of things happen, and that's another aspect that opponents have to watch out for."

Panthers storm past Hurricanes

Reported on Saturday, October 3, 2009

Published on The Times News
By JOE PLASKO jplasko@tnonline.com

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - Opportunity, meet Kevin Schaller.

The Panther Valley senior defensive back watched as the pigskin squirted from the grasp of Dajone Fairell on the Panthers 20 during a Schuylkill Haven drive late in the first half.

Whether the play would be ruled a fumble or incompletion, Schaller didn't wait to find out. He scooped up the loose ball and raced 75 yards up the sideline in the opposite direction.

That set up a five-yard touchdown run by quarterback Casey Lawrence, and the stunning turnaround gave the Panthers a 14-0 lead en route to a 34-13 victory over the defending Anthracite League champion Hurricanes Friday night on the artificial turf at Rotary Field.

The win kept the Panthers (4-1 overall) undefeated in the league at 3-0 and ended a decade of frustration against host Schuylkill Haven (3-2, 2-2).

"It's been 10 years since we've beaten them, so we've done it for all the people who wore the Black and Gold before us that got their butts whipped by them. It feels good," said Lawrence, who rushed for 82 yards and two TDs and threw another 15 yard score to Jake Dunn on a fade pattern.

Lawrence used his ball-handling wizardry to perfection in directing a Panther offense that racked up 268 yards rushing against the normally tough to run against 'Canes. Senior Kyle McAvoy took advantage of great blocking by the Panther offensive front with 19 carries and 148 yards, including a four-yard TD run.

"With our offense, you have to be ready for everybody," said Panther Valley coach Frank Damian about his "pistol" attack. "They kept sucking their ends in on the dive play, and on the zone fakes, Casey knew he would get one to break. He knows we're going to count on his legs or in the air, whatever it takes to win."

After a scoreless first quarter, Lawrence faked out the 'Canes with an option left that saw him dash 55 yards to paydirtwith 11:34 remaining in the second quarter. The conversion run attempt failed, keeping it at 6-0.

"We keep defenses guessing all the time whether McAvoy's going one way and I'm going to go in the other," related Lawrence. "That keeps them on their heels so we can also go up top, too."

Haven's Mike Georgevic missed a 27 yard field goal that appeared to be tipped, but Brian Murphy's interception of Lawrence put the 'Canes back in business on the Haven 47.

Murphy would hit Fairell for 20 yards down to the PV 20, but Schaller had other ideas.

"That play changed the whole momentum of the game," said Damian. "Everybody was standing around, and we didn't know if was alive or dead, and Kevin made a head's up play to help us go up 14-0.

"Kevin's a great kid who works hard, and we keep telling kids like him that their chance is going to come. It came tonight for him, and he made a big play for us."

"The school district plays the officials, and I respect the job they do. He obviously saw a fumble, and it's a fumble," said Schuylkill Haven coach Mike Farr. "That's not why we lost. We've lost the swagger we had. We're not executing and making plays."

The Panthers tacked on two more TDs in the third when Jake Dunn hauled in a 15 yard TD on the fourth down fade, and McAvoy turned a Jake Dunn fumble recovery into a four-yard score for a 28-0 lead. Kevin Dunn added a 35-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

Haven scored two fourth quarter TDs, with Evan Marceau catching a five yard Murphy TD pass and reserve back Jared Guldin scoring on a one-yard plunge.

Panther Valley crushes Thorpe

Reported on Saturday, September 26, 2009

BOB FORD/TIMES NEWS Panther Valley's Kyle McAvoy releases a two-point conversion pass against Jim Thorpe

Published on The Times News

By ROD HECKMAN rheckman@tnonline.com

Now this was the Panther Valley team most people expected to see in 2009.

After three straight weeks of inconsistent play, the Panthers finally put it all together Friday night against rival Jim Thorpe.

Scoring on its first three possessions and relying on its talented skill players, PV dominated from start to finish to register a lopsided 50-6 Anthracite League win.

"If we come out, don't turn the ball over and play like we're capable of, we're going to be tough to beat," said Panther Valley head coach Frank Damian. "This was a total team effort on offense, defense, the coaching staff, everybody. It's just a great win for our program.

"We felt a little disrespected this week. We heard that we were going to be their fresh start. That fired us up a little bit. We wanted to come out right away and set dominance and show them that we are a physical team. We may not be the biggest in the world but we can be physical."

It's safe to say PV's mission was accomplished.

The Olympians tried to establish a running game early, but the host team quickly shut it down.

On offense, the Panthers (3-1) did a little bit of everything in jumping out to an early lead.

Kyle McAvoy, who ran for 123 yards on just 16 carries, had a direct hand in PV opening a 20-0 cushion. On his team's first possession he surprised the Thorpe team by tossing a 27-yard touchdown strike to Jake Dunn.

The senior running back followed that by scoring on runs of eight and 21 yards.

"We knew they were going to try and come out and blow us off the ball," said Dunn. "We buckled it up, put guys on the line and they couldn't do it.

"We have McAvoy and Casey (Lawrence) and they're always making big plays. When my number is called I'll try to make a big play too."

Dunn came up huge right before the half, basically putting the finishing touches on a shell-shocked Olympian squad.

Stepping in front of a Corey Cinicola pass, the PV defensive back not only intercepted the toss but returned it for a touchdown that stretched the margin to 28-0 with just 1:22 left in the second period.

"We thought we could do some things with our physical size up front against their smaller athletic kids," said Jim Thorpe mentor Mark Rosenberger, whose team fell to 1-3. "We thought we could try and smashmouth a little bit but that didn't work.

"They have some great football players over there. If you try and slow down one, another one kills you. Lawrence is a great quarterback, Dunn is an outstanding receiver, and McAvoy is a tremendous runner. They have some great weapons on their team and their line also played well."

Lawrence, who didn't figure in the first half scoring, made his mark after the second-half kickoff.

His pass to Ryan Porambo over the middle just two plays into the third quarter went for a 66-yard touchdown, kicking in the mercy rule. Later in the contest he executed a beautiful fake, kept the ball and went 50 yards down the sideline for yet another tally.

"We didn't want to let them breathe," said Damian. "When you get on teams, you have to stay on them. We don't want to let teams come back by allowing big plays. Those are things we've done in past games and they've hurt us. We worked on holding onto the ball and not allowing big plays.

"We feel we have some of the best athletes in the area on our team, but it all starts up front and our offensive line did a great job."

Jim Thorpe avoided a shutout late in the contest when Josh Dean returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown, but the Panthers got that score right back when Josh Vega broke free for a 70-yard run down the sidelines.

Panthers blank Minersville

Spartans win AFL title

PV leaves Tams in dark

Panthers roll over Blue Devils

Panther Valley crushes Colts

Panthers storm past Hurricanes

Panther Valley crushes Thorpe

Panther Valley
crushes Colts