football players are seeing red this week.
“It’s a gimmick,” Rams head coach Clair Altemus said as he stood on the sidelines of a recent practice wearing a red T-shirt.
“We wanted the kids to see red,” he said. “It’s like when you put a red flag in front of a charging bull. So we wanted to remind the kids, day after day, that we’re playing this week.”
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Red is the primary color of the North Hills’ football jersey, a familiar sight in the WPIAL playoffs since coach Jack McCurry took over the Indians’ program and turned it into a consistent winner.
Pine-Richland (0-2) opens its WPIAL Class AAAA Northern Seven Conference schedule against North Hills (1-1) Friday night at 7:30 at Martorelli Stadium.
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“North Hills traditionally has been a powerhouse,” Altemus said. “Even when their numbers are down, year after year Jack McCurry finds a way to get it done. His kids just believe in the tradition that’s there and they play real hard-nosed, tough football.”
While Altemus is hardly ever without his Rams green-and-white coaching gear, he has two members of his coaching staff who know what North Hills’ red represents.
Rams offensive coordinator Eric Kasperowicz played quarterback and defensive back for North Hills from 1990-93, leading the Indians to a 15-0 season and a state championship his senior season.
“In a word, it’s tradition,” Kasperowicz said. “North Hills built a tradition back in the '80s when they were pretty darn good. People got on that train and to this day that’s what keeps them competitive when their numbers are down and they don’t have as many Division I recruits.”
No North Hills player ever earned more playing honors than Kasperowicz, who was named USA Today, Associated Press and Gatorade Player or the Year for the state following his senior season, when he threw 28 touchdown passes and made 15 interceptions.
“I played a lot,” he said with a laugh.
After leading the offense in the Big 33 Football Classic, Kasperowicz accepted a Pitt football scholarship and finished his playing career as a defensive back. In a televised game against Miami in 1997, he had 14 tackles, an interception, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble for the Panthers.
Kasperowicz, a Mars resident, served as a North Hills assistant coach for 15 seasons. He joined the Pine-Richland staff for a chance to call the shots as offensive coordinator.
Kasperowicz brought with him the fundamental lesson – toughness - he learned as a North Hills player and coach, and later at Pitt.
He said top teams don’t win consistently with just one dominant player, or a new scheme every week.
“At Quad-A, you have to be tougher, week-in and week-out tougher than your opponent,” Kasperowicz said. “It’s got to be our way, every play, all the time, and we’ve got to do it with some toughness.”
Pine-Richland defensive line and strength coach John Curran also knows something about toughness. Curran, a 1993 North Hills graduate, played defensive end and tight end for the Indians and earned All-American honors as a Slippery Rock University tight end.
“They are a welcome addition to our coaching staff, and I’m sure this game means a whole lot more to them as adults than probably our kids realize,” Altemus said.
Pine-Richland will attempt to avoid a 0-3 start after opening the season with losses to (34-7) and (21-20).
The North Hills game opens a series of conference games for Pine-Richland. The Rams play Butler, Erie McDowell, and North Allegheny in the weeks ahead.
“The road doesn’t get any easier,” Altemus said. “If we don’t get our ship righted, it’s going to be a long road for us.”
North Hills opened the season with a 36-13 victory over Perry Traditional Academy, followed by a 31-17 loss to last week.
