EASTON – “The fire trucks are warming up because we have a parade.”

With that announcement as he entered the locker room, Panther Valley basketball coach Pat Crampsie confirmed something that became a reality just minutes earlier – the Panthers were District 11 champions.

Panther Valley’s 59-53 victory over Notre Dame of Green Pond in a Class 3A title game on Saturday was the school’s first District 11 title in boys basketball since 1986.

After 34 years, Panther Valley’s championship drought had ended.

There were 34 years of ‘wait ‘till next year.’

There were 34 years of goals that weren’t reached, dreams that weren’t fulfilled, and prayers that weren’t answered.

There were 34 years of near misses (title game losses in 1990 and 2018), and not so near misses.

But when Brandon Stilitino took an inbounds pass, dribbled the final seconds off the clock, and tossed the ball into the air, the frustration was over – and the celebration was on.

“Since Day 1, hanging a district banner has been the goal,” Crampsie said. “These seniors have done so much. They played in districts three straight years, they won a division championship in the league, they made it to states … but this was the one thing that was missing.

“We were on a mission to bring that district banner to Panther Valley.”

Mission accomplished!

Peaking in the playoffs

Panther Valley accomplished the mission by playing its best basketball of the season when it mattered most.

After an 11-11 regular season that saw them drop their final four regular season games, the Panthers regrouped during a two-week layoff prior to the postseason.

In the district playoffs, Panther Valley put together back-to-back outstanding performances against Palmerton and Notre Dame — two of the top teams in the Colonial League this season.

“They are such a great bunch of kids … tough as nails,” Crampsie said about his team. “They just kept working hard and continued to improve.

“These last two games were our best of the season. We are peaking at the perfect time,”

Keep swinging

With five seniors in the starting lineup, one of the Panthers’ biggest strengths is their experience.

That was on full display in the postseason as Panther Valley displayed its poise in pressure situations time-and-time again.

Wednesday in the district semifinals against Palmerton, the Panthers found themselves in a 16-point second half hole.

That might have meant a knockout against a less experienced team. But the Panthers fought back and earned the decision.

Saturday in the title game, it was the Panthers who started fast and built a double-digit lead.

But Notre Dame countered and had Panther Valley on the ropes, building a four-point lead in the final period. Once again, however, the Panthers fought back as all five senior starters — Aaron Gutierrez, Blake White, Erick Marchorro, Collin Eidle and Stilitino — landed critical blows that staggered Notre Dame.

Stillitino then delivered the knockout punch – draining a deep three-pointer with :42 remaining that turned a one-point lead into a 57-53 advantage.

“Just keep swinging. That’s been our motto, and that’s what we did tonight,” said Stilitino. “When Notre Dame made its run and took the lead, no one panicked.

“We just kept playing our game and taking our shots.”

For Stilitino and a lot of his teammates, that means three-point shots – even in close games and even late in games.

“Coach Crampsie always says that if we have an open shot, he wants us to take it,” Stiltino said. “I’m confident in my shooting, and they gave me a good look, so I didn’t hesitate.”

Delivering the banner

While Stilitino’s basket might have been the knockout blow, it was several fourth quarter rebounds and baskets by Gutierrez that probably kept Panther Valley off the canvas.

Gutierrez’s biggest play of the night came just after Notre Dame has taken a four-point lead early in the fourth quarter. That’s when he crashed the boards after a Panther miss, grabbed the offensive rebound, and turned it into a three-point play.

“We don’t have a lot of size, so I try to make sure I help out as much as possible underneath,” said the 6-2 Gutierrez, who had seven points and four rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. “I remember that play. I was just trying to do anything I could to help the team at that point.

“After I grabbed the rebound, I just wanted to go up strong. It turned out well.”

That it did.

The rebound, the basket and free throw that followed, the fourth quarter, the entire game, the district playoffs – everything turned out well for the Panthers.

And because it did, they are going to have to make room on the Panther Valley gymnasium wall for another banner – one that has been 34 years in the making.

“I was 10 years old, and went to every game in 1986 when Panther Valley won its last district championship,” Crampsie said. “You saw the support we had today and how excited all our fans were.

“We not only wanted this for ourselves. We wanted this for the school and the community. It’s such a great feeling to be able to deliver it.”