New HHS Football Coach: "This Team Should Have Won"

Newly-hired Huntley High Head Coach John Hart met with players and parents Saturday to outline plans for football Raiders next year.  Hart said nothing's set in stone yet but he spent a lot of time talking about weight work, communicating with parents and hiring specific but still-unnamed help. "If we can get the people we're trying to get we're gonna get really good early on," he said.

The District 158 Board of Education hired Hart Thursday after he resigned from Indiana football powerhouse Warren Central High in Indianapolis last week with a 4-year 41 and 9  record.  Hart's resignation letter said he quit because Warren Principal Rich Shepler went out of this way to denigrate Hart's program.  Shepler didn't respond to an FEN inquiry Friday, nor did Peggy Hinckley, Superintendent of the Warren Township Metropolitan School District.  Saturday in Huntley Hart said he didn't want to talk about it except to say, "I think it's impossible to be successful in building a good program without a good relationship with your president."

The Indianapolis Star Saturday quoted Hart saying, "when you are the head coach at Warren, you get approached sometimes. That shouldn't get confused with wanting to leave."  However, according to an informed source, the D158 Board only invited Hart to be head coach at HHS because he'd already been a January top pick to coach Fremd in Palatine.

Hart told Saturday's crowd he'd already reviewed most of last season's Raiders game tapes. "I didn't see...there was any difference between our kids and who was beating us," said Hart.  "I thought, 'This team should have won.'"

"My son's so pumped," said Huntley Mom Kim Scalese after Hart's Saturday briefing.

"I'm just looking forward to next season," said Raider Brandon Dranka. "He's got a positive outlook."

"I think there's some fresh good energy," commented Algonquin resident Al Kabb.

One parent asked Hart the big question. "How about the (less gifted) kids that come in and work their butts off.  Are they going to get to play?"  Hart had the perfect answer.  "I'll say if they don't do those things they're not going to get playing time."

In the pic:  New Huntley Head football coach John Hart told Raiders Moms and Dads Saturday to get involved with their kids' training.  "Parents, I'll be at your home if they don't show up," he said.