This summer, Brody Breiner has beamed about the team chemistry and overall experience at Panther Valley.

With several returning upperclassmen, the senior quarterback is confident the Panthers can be a force in the Schuylkill League. Breiner hasn’t tempered his high expectations despite his team winning two games (2-8) last season, and a total of seven over his previous three campaigns.

“The summer has been going amazing,” said Breiner, who battled through injuries and completed 25 of 69 passes for 224 yards and also ran for 259 yards. “Every day we are pushing each other to get one percent better, and it’s paying off so far.

“Our chemistry is amazing , we all work very well together and have been playing sports with each other for a while.”

Breiner is confident the Panthers can reverse the course from previous seasons and find their way to the postseason.

“We have the tools and strength to win, we just have to put it all together on the field and treat every play like it’s our last one,” he added. “Some goals in mind include making the district playoffs, having an overall winning record and getting better each week and fixing any mistakes we have.”

Head coach Mark Lavine has echoed his senior’s thoughts and anticipations, as he was pleased with the team’s development during the summer.

“I am very happy with where we are after our summer workouts and the first week of heat acclimatization,” said Lavine. “We like where we are as far as conditioning and having our stuff in on both offense and defense.

“We have really good chemistry, led by a really good senior class who has played a lot of football and are great at helping our younger players and getting them up to speed. We have a lot of players who saw significant action last year.”

Besides Breiner, senior Marcus Rodriguez is back at fullback and fellow seniors Ben Baneravage and Gavin Yuricheck return at wide receiver. Rodriguez rushed for 198 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns last season.

Freshmen Chase McArdle and Troy Nunez are expected to be regular contributors at wide receiver and tailback, respectively. Senior Gino Williams will take over at tight end.

Yuricheck also has seen a tighter bond among his teammates.

“We have developed great chemistry,” said Yuricheck. “The younger players are adjusting very well and quickly learning the plays, and some are even making statements for starting positions. I believe our team has the strength and talent to compete with anyone as long as we play confident and use that talent and strength.

“Some goals for this season for us as a team would be to make playoffs and beat some rival teams like Marian, and have fun because that’s what it’s all about in the end.”

Up front, senior Marco Tessitore and juniors Jerry Harrison and Spencer Black will help anchor the line. Freshman Brody Vermillion will get the nod at center.

Senior Ja’Saad Smith (6-0, 325) will be counted on to utilize his size, and junior Jayden Ramos should see plenty of playing time.

Lavine believes his team has developed, and he sees a victory in the season opener against Salisbury as a jump start for the season.

Panther Valley lost to Salisbury, 28-6, in last year’s opener.

From there, the Panthers dropped two more games and had a three-game losing streak later in the season. They haven’t had a winning season since 2009 when they went 9-3.

“We believe that we have the talent and overall strength within the program to compete with anyone and win football games,” emphasized Lavine. “We need to stay healthy and continue to get better throughout camp and our first game and everything else will take care of itself.

“We definitely need an early spark, but we need to create a spark and not wait for something to happen as we have done in the past.”

His players agree.

“It would mean a lot to get an early win to start the season off and start to roll the momentum for the season,” said Breiner.

“Picking up an early win this year would be huge for us,” added Yuricheck. “We need to bring it to Salisbury week one to prove ourselves as contenders in this league.”

POSITION BREAKDOWN

QUARTERBACKS

Senior Brody Breiner is a returning thee-year starter, and can be a dual threat as an effective runner. Breiner was injured for the final six games last season. Freshman Corrigan Crampsie will be the backup.

RUNNING BACKS

Senior fullback Marcus Rodriguez will be back for his third year in the backfield. Sophomore Troy Nunez, and freshmen Nolan Rolan and Carson Jones both had a productive summer, and they are expected to see plenty of playing time.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Senior tight end Gino Williams had a good camp, and he is expected to be a prime target. Seniors 6-1 Ben Baneravage and 6-4 Gavin Yuricheck will be counted on to use their height and will be primary targets. Sophomore 6-2 Chase McArdle will also be in the mix. The group should help the Panthers elevate their passing game and provide more overall balance.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Senior tackle Marco Tessitore has been a factor for the past three years. Junior Spencer Black will open at right tackle. Juniors Jerry Harrison and Carlos Maldanado spent plenty of time in the weight room and will be the starters at guard. Sophomore Brody Vermillion is highly regarded for his checks on the line. Freshman Nathan Rolon also figures to see some time.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Tessitiore is known for his overall strength and could be one of the area’s better tackles. Harrison and senior Ja’saad Smith will also be in the rotation, while Williams, Rodriguez, and Maldanado will share time at end. Junior Jayden Ramos will provide depth.

LINEBACKERS

Vermillion and senior Peter Kruslicky both started last year and should benefit from their experience. They both had an excellent camp. Jones won the job for the other spot.

SECONDARY

This will be one of the Panthers’ stronger units. The Panthers will bring back Breiner as a four-year starter, and Baneravage led the team in tackles last season. They both will be at safety. Yuricheck and McArdle will be the starters at corner.