Heading into the District 11 Class 3A playoffs, Panther Valley quarterback Cy Maynard has realized and appreciated his team’s status.

“At a lot of points during the season, we could’ve thrown in the towel after and during many games, but we didn’t, which is why we find ourselves in the playoffs,” said the senior. “At this point, I feel like we have grown greatly as a program. We’ve been pushing through our countless injuries in just about every position.”

Panther Valley now needs to put its growth to a major test.

The eighth-seeded Panthers (4-6) will travel to four-time reigning district champion and top-seeded Northwestern (9-1) for a 6 p.m. kickoff tonight.

Panther Valley enters the tournament off a 47-12 loss to North Schuylkill, and has dropped four of its last five games, while Northwestern is coming off a 49-12 rout of Catasauqua after it had its 40-game regular-season streak snapped with a 17-14 loss to Southern Lehigh.

Panthers’ head coach Mark Lavine saw some positives last week, but there were also some setbacks.

“I thought we did some nice things offensively last week — especially throwing the ball. We killed ourselves with turnovers and not scoring in the red zone. Defensively, we got pushed around too much and gave up too many big plays.”

Maynard, who threw for 216 yards against NS, has thrown for 952 yards and five touchdowns this season. He also has rushed for 434 yards with eight TDs.

Troy Nunez is the team’s leading ground gainer with 458 yards, and Chase McArdle — who topped 1,000 career receiving yards last week, has caught 39 passes for 632 yards with five TDs.

Lavine anticipates what’s ahead from his opponent, but he wants his team to also appreciate what they have accomplished.

“We all know what we have this week in Northwestern Lehigh,” said Lavine. “They are the total package; they have size and speed everywhere. We need to have a great week, and I want our guys to compete and enjoy making the playoffs a second year in a row.”

The host Tigers have amassed 2,182 yards on the ground this season, and are led by Chase Sukanick, who has accounted for 1,301 yards with 18 TDs.

Quarterback Trey Snyder has been equally impressive through the air, as he has thrown for 1,470 yards with 15 TDs. Brady Zimmerman has been his prime target with 40 receptions for 596 yards and six scores.

Northwestern has averaged 44.5 points per game, and have allowed just nine. The Tigers have taken control of games early, as they have posted 314 of their 445 total points before halftime.

But head coach Josh Snyder is approaching the postseason with cautious optimism.

“It’s an exciting time of year, the ability to play extra games is a good feeling,” said Snyder. “The 3A is a good bracket, and we are excited to be playing Panther Valley, who is not really familiar with our playing style.

“It’s the playoffs, and we are looking to go 1-0 this week. Records don’t matter at this point. It’s win or go home. We are trying to be the best versions of ourselves and play Tiger football.”

Maynard believes his teammates aren’t easily intimidated.

“We look at Northwestern as our biggest challenge yet,” said Maynard. “We understand that they’re a great program, but so are we. We know what’s ahead of us, and we’ve got to shock everyone. Nobody believes we are going to win this game outside of the locker room, so we have something to prove.”