Team of the Day: Schuykill Valley Panthers
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
Some say life gets better after age 50. It has for the Schuylkill Valley Panthers.
The Panthers didn’t do much celebrating over their first 50 seasons of football but they’ve been enjoying life at the top ever since.
In 2023, the Panthers’ 51st season, they won a program-record nine games and earned their first championship, tying for first place in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Last year they matched the record for wins and took it one step higher, winning the Section 5 title outright after a perfect league run.
Before Bruce Harbach arrived in 2021 to revive the program Schuylkill Valley had enjoyed just 10 winning seasons; now they’re coming off three straight winning seasons with a 24-11 record in that span.
(PhilMarPhoto)
The picture wasn’t always so rosy in Leesport. In fact, things got so bad that in 1992 that after 12 straight losing seasons and with interest waning the program was suspended for five years.
The Panthers returned to the field in 1997; they won four games their second season back, were at .500 a few years later and went 8-3 in 2003, setting a program record for wins and qualifying for the District 3 Tournament for the first time.
From 2010-2013 head coach Jeff Chillot took the Panthers to the district playoffs four straight seasons.
The Panthers have rewritten the program record book the last two seasons. Last year quarterback Logan Nawrocki became the program’s first 5,000-yard passer, Kowen Gerner matched the program record for career touchdown receptions and Luke Spotts put together greatest season ever by a Berks tight end, with 60 receptions, 975 receiving yards and 10 TD catches.
Prior to that the Panthers had a pair of 2,000-yard passers, Kyle Beissel and Jeff Harner, and a rare 1,000-yard receiver, Dave Golden. Dominic Giuffre set several program rushing and scoring records in 2022, including six touchdowns in one game and 302 rushing yards in another.
Schuylkill Valley has just one entry in the BCFCA Hall of Fame: Quarterback/defensive back Steve Kreider, who went on to play in the NFL and made an appearance in the Super Bowl with the Cincinnati Bengals.
To learn more about Schuylkill Valley football history, check out the newly expanded Panthers Team Page. You can find this season’s schedule, the Panthers’ series record against all current opponents, results from recent seasons, and team rushing, scoring and passing records you won’t find anywhere else.
Throughout the preseason MikeDragoSports.com will feature every Berks County team.
Up next: Twin Valley Raiders.
