It’s safe to say that the Panther Valley boys basketball team has come out of the blocks fast.

At least for now.

The season is just two games old, but those two games have created some excitement for the Black and Gold. And for good reason.

Panther head coach Pat Crampsie will surely tone things down some in practice, but he likes the vibes his squad has put out in the early going.

After downing rival Marian on Friday night, PV returned to the floor on Saturday and cruised to a 70-32 victory over Weatherly.

Simply put, the Panthers (2-0) were much too strong for an out-manned, upstart Wrecker club.

“I like what I see thus far,” said Crampsie. “It’s early, but our intensity level was very good considering the way we won Friday against Marian.

“You know, we were up by 30 (against Marian), then we came out (Saturday) and maintained that level.”

It was obviously a tough start to the season for Weatherly, but there are plenty of games left for Cory Gerhart’s team to play.

“(Panther Valley) is very strong, they have a lot of big kids inside, and outside,” said Gerhart. “They hit the boards, and that was where they dominated.

“We are a very young team, and there are some nice things that we can (build) on.”

Panther Valley’s height will be a problem for than just the Wreckers. The Hood boys - Stephen and Bradley - loom large inside at 6-3 and 6-4. Then there is also the energizer Mike Pascoe (6-2), along with the slick guard tandem of Drew Kokinda and Chase Weaver.

PV’s starting five accounted for 58 points against Weatherly, with Stephen Hood and Kokinda both finishing with 16. Pascoe and Weaver also both reached double figures, as the two each ended with 10.

The Panthers seemed to score at will in the opening quarter as they raced to a 24-11 lead. Bradley Hood and Kokinda each zipped in a pair of treys, while Pascoe, Stephen Hood and Weaver all chimed in with four points.

Despite the impressive offensive output, Crampsie believes his team’s success will depend on what happens at the other end of the floor.

“Our defense is going to be the key for us,” said Crampsie. “We plan on changing things up. We want our base (man) defense to be at the front, but we will do some match-up (zone).”

That potion has helped produce two early wins, as the Panthers are causing huge headaches with their clamping defensive approach.

The Wreckers had eight turnovers in the first eight minutes, and fell behind quickly, but tried to rally behind freshman Ian McKeegan - who made his varsity debut with 11 points (nine of them coming on three three-pointers).

“He is going to be alright,” Gerhart said. “We have a few other young kids that will slowly get more playing time. We just need to be patient, and our players need to understand it doesn’t happen quickly.”

PV used a huge 14-0 spurt in the second quarter to help the hosts take a 21-point advantage at the intermission. Pascoe and Stephen Hood combined for 10 points in the frame as the margin swelled to 40-19.

The Panthers opened the second half with a 9-0 run to seal the victory. Weaver tallied six points in the third quarter and Stephen Hood netted five.

“We open the league at Jim Thorpe (Thursday),” Crampsie said. “It will be a big step for us, because Thorpe always gives us trouble.”

The way the Panthers have come out of the blocks, they’re the team that will be trouble for other Division 1 teams in the Schuylkill League.

ADDING IT UP … The Panthers shot 23-of-55 from the floor, while the Wreckers were 13-of-49.

DOUBLE DIP … Panther Valley rolled in the JV contest, 69-34. Logan Fisher had 20 points for the winners, while Hayden Goida poured in 12. Corbin Wagner was hot for the Wreckers, posting a game-high 27 points.

WEATHERLY

McKeegan 4-0-0-11, Wagner 2-0-2-6, Parker 2-0-0-4, Berger 2-0-2-4, Hoffman 1-0-0 -3, McLauren 1-0-0-2, Buck 1-0-2-2, Puzzetti 0-0-0-0, TOTALS: 13-0-6-32.

PANTHER VALLEY

S. Hood 6-3-4-16, Kokinda 3-1-2-10, Pascoe 3-4-6-10, Weaver 6-4-4-16, B. Hood 2-0-0-6, McAndrew 1-2-2-4, Jones 2-0-0-4, Maynard 0-1-2-1, Fisher 0-1-2-1, Hadley 0-2-2-2, Hoben 0-0-0-0, Orsulak 0-0-0-0, Gardiner 0-0-0-0, Goida 0-0-0-0, Buyce 0-0-0-0, Briener 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 23-18-24-70.

Weatherly 11 8 8 5 - 32

Panther Vy. 24 16 18 12 - 70

Thee-pointers: Weatherly - McKeegan 3, Wagner 2, Hoffman 1.; Panther Valley - Weaver 3, B. Hood 2, S. Hood 1.