Central Bucks West High School, Doylestown PA – And when it was all said and done, the team in blue and white had their moment.  Friday night, the Norristown Eagles completed the perfect regular season with a 63-38 victory over the Central Bucks West Bucks.  The win not only improved their overall record to 24-0, it also capped a perfect season in the Surburban One Continental division (14-0).  But what may get lost in the hoopla of an undefeated season is exactly what it took to get there – on and off the court.

“We got each other’s back to the end,” coach Mike Evans said after the game.

That statement sums it up, but not just for the team that does a chant of “Family” before each game.  It also includes the fans, who travel well, stay loud for entire games, and stormed Central Bucks West’s court Friday night to praise their team after the game.  And of course, there are the coaches.  Without a strong foundation of coaches, a team can get lost in their own hype.  “You keep them humble in practice,” coach Evans said.  “You make them work hard [and] keep them going.”

The Eagles definitely worked hard to get to this point, and the hard work paid off once again against Central Bucks West.  Led by Khalif Wyatt, who had 19 points, the Eagles took a 45-30 lead into the final quarter that would decide if they would complete the undefeated season.  With the feat on the line, the Eagles clamped down on defense, giving Central Bucks West fits every time that touched the ball.  This may have also been a product of the Bucks running out of energy in their attempt to create the upset.  The Bucks deserve credit, however, for fighting until the very end, and their fans were behind their team to the finish.  But the Norristown faithful who came to see their team accomplish the great feat of an undefeated season were loud, energized, and seemed to give the Eagles an extra spark.  Norristown finished off the quarter with style, a flawless alley-oop from Paul Savage to Maurice Briggs that put the cherry on top of the great season.

Although Norristown can take pride in the fact that they kept their intensity up all year, the reality is that the games have only just begun.  The District 1 AAAA postseason begins next week, and these Eagles know that the playoffs are where the wins really matter.  “[We need to] keep working hard,” Evans said.  “32 minutes of defensive intensity.  We need to bring it every night.” 

They’ve brought it every night so far in the regular season.  Time will tell if they can keep it going in the postseason as well. 

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