With defense leading way, special season brewing for North Hills

By: Saturday, September 21, 2024 | 11:01 AM

North Hills felt like it had something fairly special brewing during the summer. That feeling has turned into a reality.

The Indians — combining a veteran roster and exceptional speed on defense — have gotten off to their best start since 2019, a 3-1 record through the season's first four weeks.

"We're playing up to our expectations," said coach Pat Carey. "We're a senior-heavy team. Over the last few years, those seniors have been sophomores and juniors and have taken a lot of valuable reps.

"We liked our squad coming into the season, especially as it relates to our defense. They've held up their end of the bargain for the first four games, and our offense is starting to click. Everything is starting to work together. We're excited about things, but not overly surprised. We have an expectation at North Hills."

Strong defense has always been a major part of those expectations at North Hills, and defense has carried the Indians early on.

The Indians allowed just six points in the first two weeks of the season, beating Hempfield 22-0 and Seneca Valley 13-6.

"Our defense plays fast, and if you spoke to our opponents, I think they'd agree," said Carey. "We are not big on defense. We've been overmatched up front, size-wise, in all four games that we've played. But we play with tenacity, great technique and we play a certain brand of football that not everyone plays on defense. It's an attacking defense and it's paid off.

"Our kids have bought into it. Our coaches, including defensive coordinator Brody Zangaro, have done a fantastic job getting our kids ready to go and getting them to buy in and believe."

In Week 3, the Indians scored an impressive road win, coming back to beat Mars, 21-17, in a game that started on a Friday, but finished the following day due to inclement weather.

The level of competition took a step up in Week 4, when North Hills traveled to play one of the region's premier programs in Pine-Richland. After falling behind 24-7 in the first quarter, Carey's team rallied before falling 29-24.

"We went there to win the game, make no mistake about it," he said. "But the fact that we dug ourselves a hole ... and to stay focused, to stay on task and make adjustments — I thought our coaching staff did a great job. And our players played.

"It speaks to the resiliency they have, to be able to battle back and make it a game at halftime. Before the game, I spoke about making it a four-quarter game, and that's what our kids did. Looking at the tape, we weren't totally pleased. We gave up some things we typically don't. But, on the flip side of that, I'm proud of the way our kids fought back. They left everything out there."

The resiliency, Carey believes, comes directly from the team's senior leaders — who have matched their win total from 2022 and could draw even with 2023's win total with a victory in Week 5.

"We played a really difficult schedule the last two years," Carey said. "Some of that has paid off in some ways. We've had the lows the last couple of years, but realize that's not where we want to be. That's a learning experience in itself. The coaches and the players are really making a push to maintain that standard."

Offensively, junior Kelly McCarthy has emerged as a dual-threat quarterback, shining in the comeback effort against the Rams.

"Kelly McCarthy is a natural leader," Carey added. "We're lucky to have him on our team. He's played really well at times. We knew that this was going to be his forte, but he really started to run the ball well (against Pine-Richland). It makes it hard to defend an offense when your quarterback is a threat to run the ball."

Dason Towler and Ryan Carey — Pat's son — have had strong starts on the defensive side of the ball. But the elder Carey is quick to compliment the cohesion of the entire defense.

"In a day and age where team stuff kind of goes out the window at times, I think this team has really jelled and is playing as a team, as one," Carey said. "Everyone is pitching in and doing their job."

Carey, with his team at 3-1 and with winnable games ahead against Fox Chapel, Norwin, Plum and Shaler before closing the schedule against Penn Hills and Central Valley, can sense the optimism growing in the proud program.

"I feel it building," he said. "I feel it building at our stadium. I challenged our kids to have their best practices of the year this week and continue to pile them on top of one another.

"We need to take it one game at a time, but if you're winning at North Hills, those games become really important. Hopefully we can continue it, get it rolling and hopefully play some big games at the end of the season and into the playoffs."