Football games are often won in the trenches.

If that cliche is true, then Panther Valley should be in good shape this season.

For the first time in his tenure with the Panthers, head coach Mark Lavine welcomes back experience at every position across both the offensive and defensive lines.

And because of that, PV is hopeful success is the end result.

“We essentially have five guys coming back,” said Lavine about his guys upfront. “With being relatively new in the skill positions, we really want to build around that offensive line and our running game. They’re strong kids, they bust their butt in the weight room. And hopefully that gives us some time to really develop the skill kids.

“I’m pretty excited about them because they compete against each other. We make sure they go good against good at practice and they push each other. They like to compete. There’s some good kids there. For the most part, they’re one-sport athletes so they’ve been in the weight room with us since December three days a week. They’ve really gotten stronger. It’s a good group, it’s the most depth we’ve had there too.”

Anchoring the line will be seniors Jayden Ramos, Carlos Maldanado, Jerry Harrison and Spencer Black. They will be joined by junior Brody Vermillion, with classmate Teggan Brideson also rotating into the mix. Junior Jason Ahn provides more physicality at tight end.

“Not since we’ve been here,” said Lavine when asked if he’s had this much experience returning on the line. “It’s always been a lot of patch work, so it’s nice. We lost Spencer (to an injury) in Week 2 last year ... And other guys like a Teegan and Jayden Ramos weren’t starters last year but during the year with injuries or different things, they got a ton of playing time against the Williams Valleys and the Minersvilles. The second half of that year, although we lost those games, we played pretty tough because those linemen really stepped up as sophomores and juniors. So by the end of the year ... that line really came together, so we’re hoping to build on that with those guys this year.”

A year ago, that line paved the way for quarterback Brody Breiner to run for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns. Breiner also threw for 1,406 yards and 10 scores.

The talented signal-caller has since graduated and will be missed, but others are ready to step in to supply offensive production.

“You don’t replace Brody,” said Lavine. “He was a 1,000/1,000-yard kid and four years in our program, three as a starter. But a lot of these guys are itching to have their name called, I think they want to be the guy and get some of those stats and be the one that people are talking about. Those couple thousand yards rushing have to come from somewhere, and all those backs want to be part of that.

“The passing yards have to come from somewhere too, and I see Cy (Maynard) really wanting to step up into the quarterback position ... along with us, he worked with a personal quarterback guy this summer to really work on it. It shows that the guys want to play and make a name for themselves, and that’s awesome.”

While Maynard gets the nod at quarterback, Troy Nunez (tailback) and Carson Jones (fullback) will also start in the backfield. Those two had a combined 84 carries a year ago.

While he didn’t attempt any passes last season, Maynard does have an experienced receiver to throw to in junior Chase McArdle (54 receptions).

“There’s some inexperience ... but in football, 11 guys have to be on the same page,” said Lavine. “If one guy goes the wrong way ... you always worry about that concern but you have to make it a point as a coach that we’re putting kids in good positions.

“We’re not going to have Cy in Game 1 do some of the stuff we asked Brody to do as a three-year starter, so we have to make sure we’re putting them in positions to be successful, and I think we’ve done a great job of that during camp.”

If the offense does progress, PV still has to get the job done on defense to have overall success.

Many of the linemen on offense will go two ways and see action on the other side of the ball.

“I think we’re a little more athletic,” said Lavine. “Our linebackers are fast. Our secondary, even though we’re young, is athletic. Up front, Jerry’s a strong kid, Carlos Maldanado I think could be one of the better players in the league ... I think that front seven, front eight can be really athletic and they run to the ball and they fly to the ball.”

If things fall into place, PV could surprise and compete with the “big boys” in the league.

“We definitely want to make improvements from last year,” said Lavine. “Finishing 4-6 was nice and we made a jump but we want to be at the point where we’re always over .500. That’s the way it is and we have things in place, we have kids in this program that can make plays and our goal is to be above .500, get a better seed in districts, and win a playoff game.”

POSITION BREAKDOWN

QUARTERBACKS

Gone is Brody Breiner, who threw and ran for over 1,000. PV will hand the reigns to junior Cy Maynard, who dedicated himself to learning the position. Other QBs on the roster include sophomore Corrigan Crampsie and freshman Cooper Lynn.

RUNNING BACKS

Junior Troy Nunez could be PV’s top ground gainer from the tailback position. Nunez picked up 143 yards last year. Fullback Carson Jones, a sophomore, will also get carries and pave the way for Nunez. Jones ended with 163 yards last season. Sophomore Lyric Ingrassia is also expected to see time in the backfield.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Chase McArdle will more than likely be Maynard’s main receiver. The junior pulled in 54 passes for 455 yards last year and his 6-3 frame makes him a big target. Tyler Boyd will also line up outside, while Nate Rolon should also see time at the position.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Arguably PV’s strength, Coach Lavine welcomes back plenty of experience up front. Brody Vermillion will start at center, with seniors Jayden Ramos and Carlos Maldanado manning the guard spots. Senior Tyler Black, who missed most of the year with an injury, is back at one tackle with another senior, Jerry Harrison, on the opposite side. Junior Teegan Brideson adds depth, while Jason Ahn is expected to start at tight end.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Jerry Harrison, Jayden Ramos, Carlos Maldanado, Tyler Black and Jason Ahn are slated to be two-way players on the line. Harrison and Ramos are scheduled to be tackles, along with Gabriel Rodriguez. Maldanado, Black and Ahn will all see time on the end.

LINEBACKERS

Brody Vermillion has plenty of experience at the position and should be a valuable stopper. Lyric Ingrassia is expected to line up inside with Carson Jones manning an outside spot.

SECONDARY

PV boasts depth in the secondary with Chase McArdle leading the way at safety. Tyler Boyd will also be at safety. Corners include Corrigan Crampsie and Nate Rolon. Other options include senior Gabe Rodriguez Jr. and sophomore Max Gasker.