Playing lacrosse at Sewickley Academy in the 1970s, coaching there in the '90s and earlier this decade and then as a spectator for two years in 2005 and '06, Tim Hastings has watched the Sewickley Academy boys' lacrosse program from many different vantage points.

Now in his second stint as a head coach, Hastings had to like his view Friday as the Panthers hoisted the WPIAL Division 1championship trophy, their first district title since 2001. They defeated Franklin Regional, 9-7, last Friday at Chartiers Valley High School.

The WPIAL title-game victory and a win four days later against District 3 Conrad Weiser in the PIAA's first round, meant much more to Hastings and the program.

It served as a statement that the Panthers are back.

The 18-4 season that heads to the PIAA quarterfinals -- the Panthers will play WPIAL rival Seneca Valley at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hampton High's stadium -- marks a turnaround that Hastings envisioned while working with youth programs at the school during his leave of absence from the varsity team.

During that time Sewickley Academy endured a 2-16 season in 2006 and a 4-12 season in '07.

"It was tough to watch," Hastings admitted. "In its history, Sewickley has never had a stretch like that."

Hastings knew the future was bright.

When he took over the varsity team again in 2008 he helped lead Sewickley Academy to an 11-8 record. Last season it posted another winning record and upset WPIAL champion Mt. Lebanon.

These were all steps, albeit baby steps, in getting the program back to where it needed to be.

This season marked a gigantic step.

"We devoted ourselves to the youth program," Hastings said. "While there were a few years we weren't winning, we knew we had players who were being developed. It was very difficult at the time but it feels great to be back on top and competing at this level again."

This season the Panthers lost only one game to an in-state team and that was a setback against top-ranked Seneca Valley. Most were expecting a rematch in the WPIAL title game.

That didn't happen. Seneca Valley never reached the WPIAL title game because it was upset by Franklin Regional in the semifinals.

"We were shocked, we were thinking it was going to be a rematch," Hastings said.

By knocking off Conrad Weiser, Sewickley Academy will get its rematch Saturday against Seneca Valley in a PIAA quarterfinal game.

Many of their games were easy victories this season, but the Panthers made a habit of winning the close games, too.

They won all four of their games decided by one or two goals including two playoff wins against Mt. Lebanon and Franklin Regional.

"We trailed in both of those games but there was absolutely no panic," Hastings said.

A big key to winning those close games was the play by senior All-American goaltender Max Pawk, a Dickinson College recruit. In front of him was another All-American in junior defender Jack Roberts.

In the midfield senior David Bonomo brought championship experience from WPIAL and PIAA title runs on the Sewickley Academy basketball team. Bonomo will play lacrosse at Brown University.

On the attack, senior Connor Behun and sophomore Rob Kendall topped 30 goals but it was junior Ed Lally peppering the back of opponents' nets. He finished with a single-season school record 77 goals. He broke the mark of 73 goals in impressive fashion, too, by scoring four goals in the PIAA first-round win.

Sewickley Academy's Jack Roberts drives past Franklin Regional's Ben Stephens in the WPIAL Division I lacrosse final at Chartiers Valley High School's stadium.

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