WPIAL Class 4A championship primer: Thomas Jefferson vs. Montour

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, November 16, 2017 | 11:24 PM

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WPIAL football championship primer

Class 4A

No. 3 Thomas Jefferson (10-1) vs. No. 4 Montour (9-2)

8 p.m. Saturday, Heinz Field

On the air: Tribhssn.triblive.com; 95.3-FM/AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh (tape delay)

Winner plays: District 10 champion Cathedral Prep (12-0) in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Nov. 24 at Veterans Stadium in Erie.

What to watch

• Can Thomas Jefferson make it a three-peat?

Winners of two straight WPIAL championships, the Jaguars are loaded with players familiar with playing in the Heinz Field atmosphere.

In last season’s championship game against New Castle, graduated running back Quinton Hill contributed 248 yards and three touchdowns. Noah Palmer also had a key 20-yard interception return for a touchdown, and Shane Stump scored on a 17-yard run to seal a 42-0 win.

• Can Montour gain some ground?

The Thomas Jefferson defense has held teams to 4.4 points per game this season, including six shutouts. The Jaguars blanked Trinity, 42-0, and Belle Vernon, 27-0, so far in the WPIAL playoffs.

• Will Vigna be recovered?

Thomas Jefferson senior running back Justin Vigna got a heavy workload, rushing 44 times for 203 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s playoff win over rival Belle Vernon. He has 216 carries this season, an average of 19.6 per game.

Players to watch

• Devin Danielson: A Pitt recruit, Danielson (6-3, 295) anchors the offensive and defensive lines for the Jaguars.

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• Noah Palmer: Also a Pitt recruit, Palmer (6-4, 225) has been a key factor on both sides of the ball, as a tight end and run-stopping defensive end.

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• Kavon Morman: Morman (6-2, 185), a senior QB/DB has been a talented dual-threat for the Spartans, throwing for 1,641 yards and running for 663. He has factored in on 30 touchdowns.

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• Brandon Lipford: Lipford (6-1, 180) has been a key addition for Montour after transferring from West Allegheny this summer. He caught four passes for 41 yards for the Indians in last season’s WPIAL Class 5A final victory over McKeesport.

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Stat leaders

Passing: TJ: Shane Stump, 73-151-1,397 yards, 22 TDs, 7 INTs; M: Kavon Morman, 96-142-1,641 yards, 15 TDs, 3 INTs

Rushing: TJ: Justin Vigna, 216-1,701 yards, 24 TDs; M: Brayden Jones, 121-668 yards, 6 TDs

Receiving: TJ: Garrett Fairman, 44-838 yards, 13 TDs; M: Brandon Lipford, 29-652 yards, 9 TDs

By the numbers

All-time records: TJ: 443-200-7; M: 431-323-20

Last title: TJ: 2016; M: 2011

WPIAL titles: TJ: 7; M: 5

Did you know?

• Thomas Jefferson’s A.J. Meshanko has converted 60 extra points and two field goals.

• The Jaguars have scored 179 of their 462 points this season in the second quarter.

• Thomas Jefferson defeated Montour, 35-0, in the WPIAL quarterfinals last season.

• Montour is 4-2-1 in WPIAL title games, with victories in 1958 over Edgewood, 1963 over Freeport, 1964 over Arnold and 2011 over Knoch. The Spartans lost Class AAA titles games in 2010 and 2007. Montour tied Avella for the 1957 Class B title, then the WPIAL’s smallest classification.

Prediction

Thomas Jefferson, 35-14

Tags: Montour, Thomas Jefferson