Thomas Jefferson recovers from slow start to defeat rival West Mifflin for Big 8 title

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, October 27, 2018 | 12:36 AM

As far as halftime talks go, this one was a masterpiece.

No. 1 Thomas Jefferson rallied from a mistake-plagued first half to defeat conference rival West Mifflin, 37-6, Friday night at a chilly, rain-soaked West Mifflin Stadium.

The Jaguars wrapped up the regular season with a 9-0 record and likely top seed in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs.

“They’re good. They’re No. 1 for a reason,” said West Mifflin coach Ray Braszo about the undefeated Jaguars. “They’re real big, and real strong. They control the ball on you; that’s what they like to do.”

The TJ gridders have posted five undefeated regular seasons in the last seven years, and 12 in school history.

The Jaguars also have won 96 of their past 100 conference games dating back to 2005, and 118 of 123 league games since 2001.

“As always, I expect us to compete for the conference, WPIAL and state titles,” TJ coach Bill Cherpak said.

Thanks to Friday’s come-from-behind victory, Thomas Jefferson took first place in the Big 8 Conference with a 7-0 mark, ahead of No. 3 Belle Vernon (8-1, 6-1), West Mifflin (5-5, 5-2) and Greensburg Salem (4-6, 4-3).

West Mifflin has qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for nine consecutive years.

The Titans, looking to beat TJ for the first time since 2011, held a 6-0 halftime edge thanks to a 2-yard quarterback plunge by senior Matt Schuster at the 9:09 mark of the second quarter.

The combination of a determined West Mifflin defense and a cluster of mistakes by the Jaguars kept it close in the first half.

TJ lost one fumble, tossed three interceptions, dropped several passes, turned the football over on downs once, and punted once — all in the first two quarters.

West Mifflin was sparked on defense by seniors Bryant Johnston, who picked off two TJ passes, and Nico Cardamone, who also had an interception.

“They’re tough kids,” Cherpak said. “They’re undersized, but they play hard. And they’re explosive. They make a lot of big plays.”

On the very first play after halftime, Max Shaw, the Jaguars’ senior workhorse at running back, darted 57 yards into the end zone. Shaw tacked on the ensuing two-point conversion run, and the Jaguars held their first lead.

Shaw, stymied somewhat in the first half, rambled to 167 yards on 18 carries after halftime to end up with 220 yards and three scores on 31 carries.

On the season, he has rushed for 1,221 yards and 25 touchdowns on 124 attempts.

“He’s an explosive runner,” said Braszo about the 6-foot, 190-pound Shaw. “He’s big and he has good speed. He plays physical. They always come up with someone (at running back).”

TJ’s junior quarterback Shane Stump tossed touchdown passes to tight end James Martinis (34 yards) and wideout Dan Deabner (27 yards) in the second half.

Stump hit on 5 of 13 tosses for 91 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. On the year, he has thrown for 1,413 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Stump’s favorite target is Deabner, with 42 receptions, 1,040 yards and 16 scores.

“Belle Vernon has been the most challenging (opponent) for us in the past few years, but West Mifflin is always a huge game in our season,” Deabner said. “We end up playing them last, which makes it even more exciting with playoffs right around the corner.

“They have a very athletic team with Parish Parker in the backfield.”

Parker, a senior running back and Howard recruit, was limited to just 37 yards on 20 carries by the Jaguars, giving him 1,290 yards on 180 attempts this season. Parker has scored 22 touchdowns on the ground.

“He’s good. He’s a patient runner. He picks his holes and takes off, then he’s gone,” Cherpak said. “He and the kid from Belle Vernon (Mason Pascoe) are the two best we’ve faced.”

Thomas Jefferson has won 13 of the past 14 decisions against the Titans, including the last eight in a row.

The Jaguars also have won or shared 11 conference titles in the past 13 years, and have qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for 24 consecutive years (tied with Aliquippa for the longest active playoff streak).

Thomas Jefferson, three-time defending WPIAL champion, is vying for an unprecedented fourth consecutive WPIAL title for the first time in school history.

Dom Serapiglia, a fourth-year lineman and long-snapping specialist for the Jaguars, can become the first player in program history to be a starter on four WPIAL championship teams.

The 6-2, 295-pound Serapiglia said the Titans are tough draw for his team on the final Friday of the regular season.

“They are better than what their record shows,” Serapiglia said. “They aren’t the biggest kids we have faced, but they are the toughest kids to play against. They never quit and they play to the whistle on every play. They are a very sound team that has great technique, and they are coached very well. They have great skill players as well that can make something out of nothing.

“I think this game is still a huge rivalry because there is a long history behind it. Also, it is usually for the conference championship just like it was (tonight). I love playing at West Mifflin. They have a huge stadium and it’s packed every time we play, and it’s just a great atmosphere that makes playing in the game so much better.”

Even in the rain.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin