Norristown ready to make strides in Year 2 of Powel program

WEST NORRITON — A funny thing happened to the Norristown High football team last year.

After snapping an 18-game losing streak in the season opener and winning three of their first four games, some of the Eagles decided that they didn’t need the discipline, the practice and the hard work that had made up the major portion of first-year head coach Jason Powel’s game plan.

Predictably, Norristown was soon back in the Suburban One League soup, losing six of their last seven games and watching the postseason from the sidelines.

This year, Powel, his coaching staff and perhaps, most importantly, his players insist there won’t be a repeat of those gridiron sins.

Season Two of the Powel Regime has seen the Eagles find a dose of team spirit in a weight room they can call their own, and a commitment to the program that most insist wasn’t quite there a season ago.

“There’s a better understanding in knowing what I want,” Powel said. “That means being on time, doing things the right way.

“They know now that when I say to be here at 7:00, that means 6:45.”

As for the X’s and O’s, Norristown will let that part of the game take care of itself.

For now, the talk is about getting back, emotionally, to where the team was before the Eagles went off their perch a season ago.

“Last year it was a new team, a new coaching staff and really, we let those early wins get to our head,” said returning tackle Joe Rose. “This year there’s a lot more motivation.”

Whether it’s enough to make Norristown’s final Suburban One League season something special remains to be seen.

For now, the Eagles are content with competing, being disciplined on and off the field, and letting the chips fall.

“As a team, we’re more determined,” said defensive back Derik Cross. “We believe we can win our league, and I believe we can be a good football team.

“After those early wins last year, guys stopped coming to practice, stopped working hard and things went downhill.”

Top Photo: Norristown’s Lamont Sanford runs drills on the first day of practices for fall sports on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. (Gene Walsh/The Times Herald)