Season preview: Schuylkill Valley Panthers
Classification: Class 3A
League: Berks Section 2
Schedule: Click here
Last season: 1-5 league, 1-6 overall
Last District 3 playoff appearance: 2014
Head coach: Bruce Harbach, first season (139-55 in 16 seasons at Lancaster Catholic)
Key losses: All-league OL and DL Nate Woods, all-league RB Chance Stevens, WR Nate Schaffer, all-league PK/P Zach Heffner.
Top offensive players: QB Drew Campbell, RB Avery Adekola, RB/WR Michael Krishock, WR Kyle Spotts, WR Michael Goad, WR Colby Crills, WR Cooper Hohenadel, TE Theo Wysocki, TE Dimitri Aletras, TE Luke Spots, C Sabier Mateo, G Paul Engleman, G Jadon Swain, T Christian Davila.
Top defensive players: E Avery Adekola, E Sabier Mateo, T Paul Engleman, T Jadon Swain, second-team all-league ILB Drew Campbell, LB Gustavo Salas, LB Jaden Gulley, LB Luke Spotts, S Michael Krishock, second-team all-league CB Kyle Spotts, CB Colby Crills, CB Julian Lugo, CB Michael Goad, CB Cooper Hohenadel.
Did you know? Panthers PK Darin Tranquillo set the Berks record with a 57-yard field goal vs. Daniel Boone in 1998. There have been only three other 50-yard field goals in the 22 years since.
Fast fact: The Panthers reached the District 3 playoffs five straight seasons, from2010-2014, but have not been back since.
Quotable: “This is going to be a transitional year for us. They’ll learn the offense, the defense. We have a ton of kids coming back (next season). Our goals are to give our kids a chance to win, be physical, and give teams a game — take it into the fourth quarter and we’ll see what happens. Next year we go to Section V (of the Lancaster-Lebanon League); we’ll be on our playing level, against other Triple-A teams. We’ll be competing for a section championship every year.” — Panthers coach Bruce Harbach.
Outlook: Even before his new team played its first scrimmage Bruce Harbach was comparing the Panthers favorably to the Lancaster Catholic team he inherited in 2002.
No one’s expecting Schuylkill Valley to reach the heights the Crusaders did during Harbach’s 16 seasons –they won 10 games in his third season, a district championship in his fourth and eventually a pair of PIAA titles — but already, he says, the vibe is different around Leesport.
There’s a long way to go after seven straight losing seasons, including a dismal showing last season when their only victory came at the hands of winless Kutztown. Take away that game and the Panthers lost by an average of 32.5 points, and allowed an average of 40.3 points.
Harbach is looking forward and he likes what he sees, even in the immediate future. He talks glowingly about return QB Drew Campbell’s leadership and throwing ability (he threw for 535 yards and three TDs last year). He says the deep receiving corps, led by Kyle Spotts, Colby Krills and Michael Goad, is the most talented he’s had in a decade.
There are plenty of experienced players returning — eight starters on offense, eight on defense — and some young talent, as well. Harbach said several freshman could be involved as receivers.
Changing the culture is high on the new coach’s list of priorities, and he believes he’s already made big strides in that area. He was pleased with the offseason weight room work and the spring and summer drills; he says the players are upbeat and looking ahead to better things.
The schedule includes some tough Section 2 match-ups against Conrad Weiser and Wyomissing and some non-leaguers against bigger schools that could be problematic (Pottsgrove and Upper Perkiomen).
A year from now the Panthers head to Section V of the Lancaster-Lebanon League where they’ll find a more level playing field, against the likes of Annville-Cleona, Northern Lebanon, Pequea Valley and Lancaster Catholic. Harbach knows those programs well and already has his sights set on beating them again and taking more LL hardware.
At the wire: Moving up.
Note: Schuylkill Valley’s scheduled season-opener at Annville-Cleona was postponed.
