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Prepping for Preps' 22-23: Norristown (Boys)

12/09/2022, 11:15am EST
By Owen McCue

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)

(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2022-23 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 9. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season click here)
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Norristown’s Class of 2022 had virtually no varsity experience heading into last season.

It didn’t matter.

A senior-laden squad that had its junior season wiped due to COVID-19 peaked late in the year to return the Eagles to the District 1 title game for the first time in 13 seasons and qualify for states for the first time in three years.

The Eagles have another group of seniors this season, as well as a new coach, lacking in the experience department. They were there for last season’s run, but mostly spectated.

Now that it has its turn, Norristown’s Class of 2023 wants to leave a similar mark on the program.

“To live up to the expectation and actually go past that,” senior point guard Andre Gordon said of the mindset of the Eagles' senior class.


Norristown junior Myon Kirlew is the only key contributor returning this season. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Starters DJ Johnson (Gwynedd Mercy), John DiNolif, Zaki Gomez (Rosemont) and Righteous Mitchell (Rocktop Academy) and reserves Rayshawn Stinson and Nasir Williams accounted for seven of the eight top players in the Eagles’ rotation last season.

The lone returner and returning starter is junior Myon Kirlew, who broke out for a few big outings during Norristown’s postseason run.

“I feel like as a team, we’re all going to have to step up a lot this year,” Kirlew said. “We had a lot of key components last year and we’re going to have to fill these spots.”

“Me, personally, I learned a lot last year that’s going to help us this year,” he added

The Eagles have another large senior class with seven listed on the roster. Gordon, a point guard, guards Jaden Wise and Roddy Gaymon and forward Johnathon Brooks are among those slated to see big minutes who have waited their turn. 

They played together on the junior varsity team a season ago along with junior guard Jayden Byrd, building chemistry before sitting on the varsity bench and getting spot minutes.

Senior wing Andre Young is a newcomer in the early-season rotation and junior Miles Daniels is another. Yusuf Waheed and Adam Ferst round out the group of seniors trying to follow in the footsteps of last year’s success.

“This year we’re just trying to find a different system and find ourselves as a new group because it’s mainly a whole JV team coming up,” Gordon said. “And a new coach. We’re trying to fit into his play style and get to know how he plays.”

Former head coach Dana ‘Binky’ Johnson stepped down in early September. He went 72-36 (42-16 PAC) in five years (four seasons). Rick Bell filled the position later on in the fall.

Bell has coached at a number of different levels, including locally as an assistant at the Phelps School and Cabrini University, where he was on staff for the program’s national title run in 2012.

He isn’t from the Norristown-area but Bell has had a home there for about 20 years now, long enough to understand the rich program tradition even before last season’s district run. He works at Stuart Middle School and will work at the high school starting in January.


Norristown guard Andre Gordon is part of another large senior class for the Eagles. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

“I’ve been around. I know Norristown basketball, the history and I’ve been a part of all that stuff, watching closely,” Bell said.

Bell and the Eagles began a little behind the rest of the area without a full offseason, but the Norristown players have taken a liken to the new coach. Kirlew described Bell as ‘fundamental’.

Gordon is the point guard but said Bells emphasizes his players one through four can bring the ball up and push the Eagles in transition.

They will play mostly four guards with Brooks, a 6-4 forward who will play a lot bigger as he’s the type of athlete who can go up with two hands and dunk off two in traffic.

“Energy on the defensive end and transition, that’s our main focus,” Gordon said. “We’ve got some really athletic players. We’ve got some dogs on this team.”

“This team brings a lot of energy this year. … I think we’ll be way better in transition,” Kirlew said. “Everybody can handle the ball pretty well.”

Amongst the team’s goals this season is another district run and state playoff berth. 

Before they get to the District 1 postseason, there’s something else this Norristown group wants to do that the Eagles teams of the past haven’t been able to accomplish. 

Despite reaching the tournament in four of a possible five tries earning the top seed twice, Norristown has yet to win a Pioneer Athletic Conference title, unable to even get to a title game.

The Eagles haven’t won a league title since a Suburban One American title in 2013.

“That’s pretty crazy, but we gonna get that out of the way this year,” Gordon said.

After last season’s run, there’s no reason to believe they can’t accomplish all their goals and add another chapter to the Norristown hoops history.

“I feel like we’re going to have a great chance to make it far again,” Kirlew said. “We’re just going to have to lock in and have some more team bonding.”


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