Good post. For whatever reason football is simply not important to the people of North Hills. The AD can stand on the sidelines laughing and joking while the team is down 40 points in a key football game, means nothing to him. As long as they scrape into the playoffs he is happy. The school board would never dream of replacing the ultimate mediocrity of Carey. He's a NH guy so he has a lifetime job just like McCurry, even though unlike McCurry he has very few accomplishments with the team. Think about it, NH tried to fire McCurry, yet replacing Carey is not even a topic of conversation, despite the fact so many kids won't play for him. The passion in NH is 1000X greater for the marching band than the football team, that's what people care about (and the band is good, no surprise).
There is still a hardcore group keeping football alive, you don't win 8 games in 5A on just luck. The youth football program is good. Unlike some bad teams I could mention, kids come to varsity and know how to play. Zangaro is a young coordinator who has tremendously improved the defense since coming on. The district has grown over the last decade, they need to get participation back up. I swear the marching band kids are bigger than the football team...
haha yep the band is very good- great bands? Hempfield, Seneca Valley- and now North Hills... I imagine lots of big schools in East Pa have great bands, but Football goes 6-4 and never wins championships. It takes so much to be great in sports in 2025. First- me, as a Pine Richland supporter- I would be happy if NH was good every year- makes our conference better, football more fun to watch- sharpens skills for playoffs. Here are some reasons why IMO that NHs is not strong-
1- in some ways, in the last 10 years, Carey and NH copies their "neighbor" North Allegheny- good not great, does not do the extra stuff, plays, and tries to beat "local teams."
2- NH has become kinda "diverse and woke" and a district- really tough to win at the highest level without some "hurt feelings."
3- I've heard some rumblings of some racism at NH, might explain why some stud kids leave in grades 8/9.
4- Very difficult as a normal public school- these days, gotta have great coaching, stud talent and/or lots of resources ($$$ or facilities). My guess is their boosters does not raise lots of $$.
5- Again them being "kinda woke" that includes adding "new sports" over the last 10-20 years- very tough for all sports to thrive- tough to be multi-sports- ie Hockey, vollyball, lacrosse, rowing, bowling, rowing- I'm sure football loses kids to those sports. Probably some of those sports did not exist in the "prime years" of Nh in the 80s and 90s