For those who expected a wildly successful season for the Pennridge boys' lacrosse team before the Rams started playing in late March, please step forward.

Ok, that's what we thought.

"Did I see this coming?" Pennridge head coach Chris Pianko said with a laugh. "Honestly, no, I didn't. We were coming off a 6-12 season and had lost some really good players to graduation from what I thought was a fairly good team last year.

"But these guys came out this season and played really well from the start and always gave everything they had."

A big run

That effort propelled the Rams to the Suburban One League National Conference title, where they went 10-0 including beating perennial-power Central Bucks East for the first time, plus a sixth-place finish in the PIAA District One Class 3A tournament, and a first-time appearance in the PIAA tournament.

"To make it to states for the first time in school history was a great accomplishment for these guys" said Pianko, whose brother, Charlie, is his assistant coach. "This is the best season I've ever been involved in as a coach."

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A young team

That success has garnered Pianko Courier Times/Intelligencer Coach of the Year honors.

Pianko, who is in just his second season as head coach, did it with only two senior starters.

"The younger guys stepped up and filled roles that needed to be filled," Pianko said. "And they're already anxious to get going next year."

Check it out: After missing PIAA district lacrosse tournament a year ago, Pennridge boys head to states

Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Pennridge's Chris Pianko is Bucks County area Coach of the Year