Norristown

By RICK KAUFFMAN

rkauffman@timesherald.com

WEST NORRITON — Without a win in what seems like years (it’s more like a year and a half), the Eagles are desperate for some victories in 2014

New coaching staff, new athletic director, new personnel, new attitude, there are changes abound at Norristown Area High School.

First and foremost, the era of E.J. Smith has ended and thus begins Jason Powel’s turn to take the reigns and steer the Eagles northward in the standings. Now placed with bigger schools in Suburban One Continental, the Eagles have bigger fish to fry as they won’t matchup against familiars foes like Upper Merion in conference play anymore.

But, with any transition such as this one with an entire turnover of coaching staff, a new season doesn’t begin without its bumps in the road.

“It’s only been six or seven weeks since I’ve been here and we’ve been working around the clock with the staff trying to get everyone up to snuff with what we’re trying to do,” Powel said.

His offensive, defensive coordinators and assistant coaches are all new to the school — Mike Santillo is the former coach at Pope John Paul II, while a slew of other names come from Kennedy-Kenrick and Bishop Kenrick high schools. Powel, in his first gig as the head coach, found that there’s a lot more to worry about as the man in charge.

“There’s so many things to do as a head coach, just the little things, but they end up being big on the first day of camp — physicals, making sure kids have rides, stuff like that,” Powel said.

In what appears to have been an era of excuses, there’s been a slow crossover from the old to the new: kids arriving on the first day without proper gear, without having taken physicals. While many had been in the gym since Powel took the position, others were late getting to the show. Yet, Powel aims to stamp out those bad habits swiftly.

“The biggest ones of all the goals we’ve set was ‘no more excuses,’” Powel said. “Don’t use anything as a crutch that leads into bad habits.”

Players agree that the biggest hurdle they’ve experienced in their winless streak has been a lack of focus. It hasn’t necessarily been the competition, they simply haven’t been fit for battle.

“The biggest hurdle we’ll face will probably be ourselves — nobody can hurt you like yourself,” said Isaiah Samuel. “But, once we get out on the field and communicate and be able to do things together will very much have a great, great season.”