ROSS TWP — The beat goes on at North Hills.

Now in his 33rd year, football coach Jack McCurry has won 266 games at North Hills, losing only 98.

His Indians haven't lost to Butler since 2000 and have outscored the Golden Tornado 120-16 over their past four meetings.

The two teams get together again at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Art Bernardi Stadium.

"I think the continuity means a lot," McCurry said of his tenure at North Hills. "The kids know what the expectations are and what the demands are going to be.

"When a program goes through a lot of coaching changes, kids are not quite sure what to expect," he added. "Even now, the (Butler) kids might be wondering if Coach (Jim) Rankin will still be around after a year or two."

Rankin is Butler's eighth head coach, following Art Bernardi, Tim Nunes, Bill Bohren, Sam Albert, Mark Farabee, Garry Cathell and Jeff McAnallen, since McCurry took the reins at North Hills.

"I respect Jim Rankin a great deal," McCurry said. "We coached against each other a lot of years when he was at North Allegheny. Those games were always a battle.

"He's got a proven track record. He'll get it done at Butler, if given the time. It's tough to build a program in this league. None of the other programs are going to make it easy for you," he added.

McCurry gets it done at North Hills nearly every year, regardless of the experience level on the field. The Indians return only three starters on defense — cornerback Taylor Schmidt, safety Brody Zangaro and tackle Dan Heinauer (son of Mars coach Scott Heinauer) — yet have allowed only 41 points in five games.

North Hills (5-0, 2-0) has defeated Perry (28-7), Woodland Hills (7-0), Pine-Richland (21-14), Shaler (28-7) and Hempfield (37-13).

"Our kids expect to win. Tradition dictates that for us," McCurry said.

Quarterback Schmidt, guard Heinauer, center John Wanner, tackles Jay Loritz and Derrick Dunn are returning starters on offense for the Indians.

The North Hills offense centers around Schmidt. The 6-foot-0, 190-pound senior, headed to the University of Cincinnati as an outfielder in baseball, is a threat running or throwing.

Schmidt completed 15-of-17 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns against Hempfield. He had 13 carries for 188 yards and a TD against Shaler.

"Taylor is the complete package," McCurry said. "When the ball is in his hands, good things happen for North Hills.

"Football isn't in his future after this season, but he loves to play the game. He's a fast runner who can make good reads. He's our leading rusher and the heart of our offense," the coach added.

Running backs are Mike Sieber, Isaiah Faulk and Josh Neurohr.

Mark DeVita is the team's split end, with Neurohr and Faulk catching passes as well.