The 2013 Norristown H.S. football team impresses...

The 2013 Norristown football team, with no wins thus far in the season, has made me a fan.  Why??

  First, let me give a quick background on myself.  I played high school football in Bucks County.  I started for three years, earning "All League" honors my senior year.  I was then a starter for four years at Millersville University, also earning "All League" my senior year.  This just to say I'm not a football novice.

  Norristown has three very important qualities of a winner.  Toughness, a quality that is difficult, if not impossible to teach. Some say, you either have it or you don't.  Norristown battles. Yesterday, they played a bigger, more physical team, yet the Eagles held their own.  The defense taking on blockers, gang tackling and delivering big hits on Central Bucks East players was exciting to watch.  What was most impressive was the goal line stances that Norristown made.  There were several instances during the game were the Eagles defense had their backs against the proverbial wall yet stood strong.  Led by seniors Tyheed Perry, Eric Weeb, Khalil Johnson, Kip Patten and James Gilette along with underclassmen Joe Cross and Rashon Lusane, the defense demonstrates aggressive toughness.

The explosive quality that the Norristown players possess makes for very exciting brand of high school football.  These kids can score from anywhere on the field.  Field general and senior captain Sonny Brewer uses his legs and arm to confuse the defense and keep them on their heels.  Against C.B. East he threw for a score.   Senior running back, Curtis Pardea, will have you on the edge of your seat whenever he touches the ball.  Pardea gets lost behind the offensive line and squirts through a seam and racks up yardage.

The third quality, which I believe inspires the other two, is confidence.  It appears that the coaches have put these kids in situations to succeed.  I also think that the players trust each other and help to motivate one another.  Their confidence creates infectious football that I have enjoyed.

Even though the Eagles are 0-2, I think their best football is ahead of them.

Next game September 14, at 4pm against Bishop Shanahan in Norristown.