EASTON — “The journey is so often better than the destination.”

That was one of the first things Panther Valley head coach Pat Crampsie said after the Panthers’ District 11 2A championship loss to Moravian Academy on Saturday.

Crampsie’s thoughts paint the picture. The Panthers obviously didn’t get the result they wanted, but their 2017-18 journey to the title game was historic.

Crampsie added another post game comment that said it all.

“The experience of the last four months is much better than the color of our medals,” he said.

No excuses is a mentality that Crampsie instilled in this year’s Panthers’ squad from the onset. That’s because coming into the season the Panthers were considered a favorite to win Division 3 of the Schuylkill League, returning talented players Tristan Blasko and Rene Figueroa along with a host of other experienced players.

The Panthers (16-9) didn’t disappoint, finishing the regular season with a 15-7 record and clinching the Division 3 crown by defeating rival Marian by 25 points in the regular season finale. With that win, Panther Valley headed to the vaunted Schuylkill League Playoffs for the first time since 2000.

“Panther family, that’s something we preach and our kids have embraced that and play the game that way. I’m just so proud of this group and what they’ve been able to accomplish. From 7-15 a season ago, and then coming into today 16-8,” said Crampsie. “We’re obviously disappointed we didn’t come away with a championship today.

“On this type of stage, you want to play better and have a much better showing, but it didn’t happen for us today. The credit has to go to Moravian Academy for that. That’s a really good basketball team.”

This Panther Valley team is special for many reasons. Not only for giving the school its first division title in 18 years, but also for qualifying for the PIAA state playoffs for the first time since 1990.

They clinched that berth with a district semifinal win over Marian. Anyone basketball aficionado will tell you, defeating a team three times during the span of a season is tough, especially when it’s a rival and one of them is in the postseason.

But the Panthers dug deep, nipping the Colts for a three-point victory and a championship berth.

“We obviously wanted to represent better today, but with that being said, if you look at everything I’m just proud of our kids for bouncing back after a tough season last year,” said Crampsie. “This group bonded together big time to get us here and get the wins we needed when the pressure was on. This team fought like heck all season.

“The nice thing is we still have another week together. We know the challenge that lies ahead of us in the state playoffs, but it’s great to be able to prepare and play for another week.”

Panther Valley is not done yet as it does have some more basketball play as it will be a part of the PIAA 2A State Tournament. The Panthers will face Math Civics and Sciences, the No. 1 seed out of District 12, on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Abraham Lincoln High School in Philadelphia.