Giving North Hills football coach Jack McCurry a third-year starting quarterback is like giving Barry Bonds a fastball down the middle.

He's going to have a lot of fun with it.

McCurry, 228-78 in 28 years at North Hills, has added a lot to the playbook this season because of senior signal-caller Ryan Lehmeier.

"It's there because he can handle it," McCurry said. "We've got a larger audible system, we're more complex - you can do things with a third-year starter that you can't do with a first- or even a second-year starter."

Lehmeier will draw plenty of attention from Butler's defense Friday when the Golden Tornado (2-2, 0-2) invade Martorelli Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff against the Indians (3-1, 2-0).

Lehmeier has completed 40 of 60 passes for 521 yards and two touchdowns. He has rushed for 399 yards and nine scores.

"He's getting a lot of Division II and III looks," McCurry said. "Ryan's only 5--foot-11 and quarterbacks who are 5-11 don't play for Division I schools.

"Ryan understands that. He'll get his opportunity to play."

Right now, he's enjoying the opportunity to play with a talented North Hills group on offense.

Running back Connor Corcoran, last year's team-leading rusher with 777 yards, has 289 yards rushing and seven TDs. Receiver Brad Hill has 13 catches for 189 yards and P.J. Castellano has seven catches for 92.

McCurry said that Hill is developing into the all-purpose player that Brandon Zangaro was for the Indians a few years ago.

"He's not quite there yet, but that's the type of player we miss," McCurry said of Zangaro. "That kid was so versatile. He could return punts or kickoffs, run reverses, catch the ball, run the ball. … Brad is becoming that kind of player."

Hill had eight catches for 150 yards against Seneca Valley last week.

North Hills has defeated McKeesport 33-7, Shaler 35-8 and Seneca Valley 35-7. The Indians' lone blemish is a 21-20 loss to Central Catholic when kicker Rob Schrubring missed a would-be game-tying PAT with 11 seconds left.

That is Schrubring's only missed PAT in 16 tries.

"One play doesn't cost you a game. We won't let Rob get down about it. We're gonna need him at some other point," McCurry said.

Defensively, the Indians are led by senior linebacker Jordan LeViere, who missed the final seven games of last season with a torn ACL in his left knee.

With LeViere, the Indians surrendered seven points per game last year. Without him, they allowed 24 per game, including 31 to Butler.

"He's our leading tackler this year," McCurry said. "Jordan is an impact player."

Fellow senior linebacker Andrew Doerr, defensive end Mike Bosiljevac and safety Andrew Heck round out North Hills' top four tacklers.

North Hills has defeated Butler in four straight meetings - 42-31, 42-2, 12-0 and 28-0 - since dropping a 28-20 decision in Butler during the 2000 season.

"If Butler has all of its players ready to go, they'll be a pretty good team," McCurry said. "But with all of their injuries, we don't know who's playing and who's not.

"We have to prepare for them as if they're going to be totally healthy. That's how we have to approach it."