Danny Wehr isn’t someone you’d generally call “a beast.”

Despite his imposing 6-foot-5 frame, the Panther Valley senior has a quiet, easygoing personality.

But he earned that label from his coach, Pat Crampsie, on Saturday following the Marian Catholic Christmas Tournament — and the description couldn’t have been more fitting.

Wehr played with unbridled passion as the Panthers rallied for a 61-58 come-from-behind victory over the host Colts in the tournament championship game.

It marked the second straight day Wehr played a starring role in his team overcoming a deficit. The day before, Panther Valley topped Jim Thorpe in overtime.

Wehr scored 26 points against Marian, adding to the 30 he poured in against the Olympians. In all, he amassed 56 points over the two-game span.

“Danny was a beast,” Crampsie said. “For two days in a row, he was the best player on the floor.”

His performance — along with that of senior teammate Brody Breiner — earned both Panthers spots on the tournament’s all-star team. Marian sophomore Greg Tirpak was also named to the team.

Breiner, whose speed and aggressiveness constantly pressured the defense, scored 16 points, including seven in the fourth quarter that helped swing momentum.

Crampsie said emotion played a role in the Panthers’ inspired play. Earlier in the week, an accident claimed the life of 2024 Panther Valley graduate Stephen Hood, a starter on teams that reached the postseason in multiple seasons.

“Especially our seniors — those guys were tight with Stephen,” Crampsie said. “Especially the baseball players — Danny, Brody and Benny (Baneravage). Those guys went through a lot together, and they wanted to honor their buddy. They couldn’t do it in a better way than this.”

Regarding Wehr, Crampsie added, “I know this was really special for him. I’m really thrilled for him.”

While the ending was dramatic, the beginning belonged to Marian.

The Colts took early control behind Tirpak, who drained three consecutive three-pointers. His sharp shooting sparked a 16-5 surge, and Marian extended its lead to 21-7. By the end of the first quarter, the Colts owned a 27-14 advantage.

Panther Valley chipped away and trimmed the deficit to eight by halftime, trailing 36-28. The Panthers narrowed the margin to four in the third quarter, but didn’t take the lead until late in the fourth.

That moment came when Breiner buried a long three from the right wing, giving PV a 57-55 lead with 1:59 remaining. Edison Mitchell followed with a short jumper at the 1:11 mark to make it 59-55.

Asked about his aggressive play, Wehr said it stemmed from frustration — then shifted to teamwork.

“We started playing together a lot more,” Wehr said of the second half. “We moved the ball better, played more physical, and nobody was being selfish.”

Breiner echoed the sentiment.

“We played together. We communicated,” he said. “I feel like we stuck together when things weren’t going good.”

While Breiner contributed offensively, it’s his hustle that often makes the biggest difference.

“Any way I can help my team — even if it means doing the dirty work — I’m happy to do it,” he said.

“We talked a lot about Panther grit,” Crampsie said. “And you saw it this weekend.”

Another key contributor was 6-3 sophomore Chase McArdle, who battled on the boards and finished with eight rebounds and three steals.

“I’ve got to credit our guys,” McArdle said. “We had a rough start to the season and some rough patches, but we’ve been getting better. Even when the wins weren’t coming, we didn’t lose faith.”

Marian’s Jake Tom helped keep the Colts in front early, scoring 15 points — nine in the first half — using his speed to offset Panther Valley’s size.

STEPHEN HOOD REMEMBERED ... Panther Valley honored Hood with a moment of silence before the game. Crampsie also wore Hood’s old No. 11 jersey.

HEIGHT A FACTOR ... Panther Valley’s size paid dividends. The Panthers outrebounded Marian 26-20. McArdle pulled down nine rebounds, while Wehr added five. Tirpak led Marian with nine boards.

MISSING A PLAYER ... Marian has been without center Rocco Griguali for the season after he suffered a leg injury in the third game. Griguali scored 10 points against Panther Valley in the season opener, a 49-35 Marian win.

NEXT UP ... Marian returns to action Jan. 3 at Mahanoy Area. Panther Valley resumes play Jan. 5 at Tamaqua.

PANTHER VALLEY

Moyer 0-1-2-1, Crampsie 0-0-0-0, McArdle 2-2-6-7, Breiner 6-3-5-7, Mitchell 1-0-2-1, Wehr 10-2-4-26, Baneravage 3-0-0-7, Thomas 1-0-2-2, Maynard 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 23-8-21-61.

MARIAN

Tom 5-4-5-15, Nunez 1-0-0-2, Justin De La Cruz 2-1-2-7, Jacob De La Cruz 1-0-0-3, Tirpak 4-5-5-17, Knock 4-0-0-8, Cannon 3-0-0-6. TOTALS: 20-10-12-58.

Panther Valley 15 13 18 15 - 61

Marian 27 11 13 7 - 58

Three Pointers: Panther Valley - Wehr 4, Breiner 1, McArdle 1, Baneravage 1; Marian - Tirpak 4, Justin De La Cruz 2, Tom 1, Jacob De La Cruz 1.

Records: Panther Valley (4-7); Marian (4-5).