Julie Ellis of Loyalsock and Nyla Coleman (23) of West Catholic reach for a rebound at Pleasant Valley High School. Loyalsock defeated West Catholic 54-35. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Loyalsock coach Curtis Jacobson often says something which is so true but also often is taken for granted.

“Winning is hard.”

It sure is. That goes double when it’s playoff time. So, Loyalsock reaching the Class AAA state quarterfinals again is mighty impressive. The Lancers earned their spot Tuesday night at Pleasant Valley High School, defeating West Catholic, 54-35.

Make no mistake, this team is as hungry as a starving bear. It wants more, a lot more.

But from an outside perspective, people should not think this was a given that Loyalsock would make it back to the state’s Elite 8. Yes, the Lancers reached the Final 4 a year ago and returned a strong core. But each year is different and the obstacles are seemingly endless each season. So much has to go right, and the state is loaded with strong, goal-oriented teams.

Loyalsock encounters another Friday when it plays Dunmore in the quarterfinals.

All these teams are chasing the ultimate goal and all represent significant challenges. That Loyalsock (27-2) has tied the program record for wins and become the first in program history to reach consecutive state quarterfinals is quite an achievement. And it is every bit a testament to the team’s will, maybe even more than its skill.

“It shows all the hard work that we put in during the summer and the fall,” guard Jillian Kennedy said after dealing It shows what we can build after losing that many seniors. It shows how we can bounce back after that.”

“It’s super nice to know we worked hard for it,” center Alaina Dadzie said after scoring 36 points. “It’s a long season and to know our hard work is paying off is super.”

Ultimately, that is how Loyalsock has reached this point. Games cannot be won in the offseason, but they can be lost. The Lancers made sure they kept their foot on the gas following last year’s deep run and the returning players kept improving.

The work has continued all season. The basketball campaign is a grind, stretching from November until March. Loyalsock players have absorbed bumps and bruises, fought through injuries and illnesses and kept moving forward.

In a way Tuesday’s game was a microcosm of that battle. There is no sugar coating that, at times, Loyalsock played some of its worst basketball of the season. Still, the Lancers maintained their composure, kept fighting and never let West Catholic take the lead. They then responded to the adversity in style, putting together a dominant fourth quarter and pulling away from a team which had twice ended Loyalsock’s season this decade.

“It’s something we have to clean up but I also told them we’re not going for pretty points tonight. We’re going for a win,” Jacobson said. “As long as we find a way to be better than them at the end of the game, that’s all that matters. We beat a really good team and I’m super proud of the girls.”

It was almost a year ago when Jacobson addressed his players following a heartbreaking Final 4 loss against Lancaster Catholic. Loyalsock reached that point for the first time, but, through the tears, a new goal immediately was put forth. So while, reaching the quarterfinals again is a tremendous accomplishment, the work continues because Loyalsock understands how hard winning is.

Legendary hockey coach Herb Brooks once said that great moments are born from great opportunities. That opportunity is what Loyalsock has earned again as it builds toward Friday.

“I challenged these girls at Shamokin last year to raise the bar and the bar was really hard to raise,” Jacobson said. “We tied the win total tonight, so we’re one win away from raising the bar. Now we focus on Friday, and get ready to give our best effort and try and be one point better than the other team.”

–Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse