The adage "home is where the heart is" goes along perfectly with the personality of new Panther Valley head coach Matt Davis. Davis, who was announced as the new leader of the Panther Valley football program radiated nothing, but pride and genuine care for his alma mater at a press conference on Friday.

The 30-year old Davis, also spoke of a team motto that he hopes will motivate his players for the off-season. That motto is "why not us" and after hearing Davis speak on Friday, it seems that he absolutely believes in that mission statement."I stole our team motto from a kid named Anthony Vavra, who is going to be a junior in our program next season, and that motto is 'why not us'," said Davis. "I talked to the kids about some programs in our area like Jim Thorpe, Mahanoy, and Schuylkill Haven that have had some down years recently, but have now bounced back quickly to get to the postseason. It can be an extremely quick turnaround for us and as of right now that's our motto and I like it."Davis hopes to bring back the success Panther Valley had from the 80's and 90's, which he thinks can be attained only if his players change their current mentality."Our athletes at PV and even with the kids that don't play sports, when things start going bad they kind-of get complacent and accept the fact that a loss is coming," said Davis. "It's our job as a staff to change that mentality and we need to work them through that. We need to develop leaders and our kids have to understand that when things aren't going well, somebody has to step up and make a play."Davis was part of some recent success as a coach at Panther Valley and also in 1998 (A Eastern Conference Champs) when he was a player for the Panthers. In 2008, and 2009 PV had combined record of 16-6, qualifying for the postseason in 2009. Davis was the defensive coordinator for both of those squads, with his defenses giving up just over 216 yards of total offense per game.However, it's not all about wins and losses for Davis. He is also an educator within the Panther Valley School District and wants his kids to know they are going to be challenged like never before. The first-year head coach was also adamant that he wants his players to feel the same pride he does for Panther Valley and to carry that pride with them when they leave the halls of PV."Every player that has ever wore the black, gold, and white should be proud of where they played and where they went to school," said Davis. "Being a panther doesn't end when you leave Panther Valley. It's something that should stay with you forever. I am looking forward to playing a crucial part in the development process of our kids for many years to come. We're going to push our players harder than ever before in the classroom and on the field. Day by day and week by week we need to get the best out of our student athletes. Simply put, I want our kids to realize and maximize their potential."