Videos:

Articles:

South Xtra: Big Nine title on line as bitter rivals clash

FOOTBALL

October 25, 2012 12:36 am

By Ken Wunderley / Tri-State Sports & News Service

Coaches in every sport warn their players not to look ahead, but in some cases it's an almost impossible task.

An example is the rivalry between Thomas Jefferson and West Mifflin.

"We stress the importance of not looking ahead, but it's hard when you have Thomas Jefferson and West Mifflin scheduled in the final game of each season," Jaguars coach Bill Cherpak said. "Both teams know how important this game is to the two communities. And it usually has a bearing on who wins the conference title."

That is certainly the case this year, as Thomas Jefferson and West Mifflin enter the game unbeaten. Both are 7-0 in the Big Nine Conference and 8-0 overall. The Jaguars are ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL in Class AAA, while the Titans are No. 3.

"Thomas Jefferson is clearly our biggest rival," West Mifflin coach Ray Braszo said. "And it's not just football. It's a rivalry in every sport. The kids and the members of both communities talk about the rivalry all the time.

"Last year, it came down to us for the [conference] title and we were able to beat TJ. We're hoping to do the same again this year."

Thomas Jefferson and West Mifflin tied for the Big Eight Conference title last year, as both had 6-1 records, but the Titans posted a 27-14 victory in the season finale against the Jaguars. West Mifflin's only conference loss was to Trinity.

"It's exciting to be in a rivalry like the one we have with West Mifflin," Cherpak said. "In fact, I probably know more people from West Mifflin than I do from Jefferson.

"I actually played for coach Braszo. He was the defensive backs coach at Steel Valley when I was in high school. And three of my coaches were on coach Braszo's staff when he was at Steel Valley. There is so much history and familiarity between the two schools."

This year's game will be played tomorrow at Thomas Jefferson and tickets will be hard to come by.

"I've had at least 20 people call me for tickets. I told them to check Stubhub.com," Cherpak joked. "I'm expecting a standing-room only crowd. I told the kids 'This is exactly why you play football, this is what it's all about'."

Both teams feature a potent offense, as both are averaging more than 40 points per game. That makes defensive play even more important.

Thomas Jefferson is averaging 44.8 points per game and allowing 9.3 per game. The Jaguars have one of the strongest passing games in the WPIAL with quarterback Joe Carroll and wide receiver Zach Schademan leading the way.

In his first season as a starter, Carroll has completed 86 of 135 passes for 1,633 yards and 31 touchdowns. His favorite target is Schademan, who has 44 catches, 926 yards, and 20 touchdowns. The Jaguars also have a competent runner in Jake Farrell, who has 664 yards and 11 touchdowns on 84 rushing attempts.

"Thomas Jefferson has been known for its potent rushing attack over the years, but they've also had a good passing attack," Braszo said. "They always have good skill people and big linemen."

West Miffin is averaging 40.8 points per game and allowing 10.3 per game. The Titans have one of the most potent running games in the WPIAL with tailback Jimmy Wheeler and quarterback Derrick Fulmore.

Wheeler ranks second in the WPIAL with 1,543 yards on 163 rushing attempts, and has scored 19 touchdowns. Fulmore has added 500 yards and 12 touchdowns on 54 carries.

"Fulmore is a great athlete who doesn't get enough credit for his passing," Cherpak said. "He's more than just a running threat."

Fulmore has completed 25 of 41 passes for 659 yards. His favorite target is tight end Marcus Martin, who has 10 catches and 356 yards.

"Their tight end is one of the best I've seen in a couple years," Cherpak said. "He's a great blocker who can also catch the ball."

Cherpak feels his inside linebackers, Austin Boyd and Chase Winovich, will be the key to Thomas Jefferson's success on defense.

"Austin and Chase will be in the hot seat, but we have to play good team defense overall to slow down West Mifflin's potent running game," Cherkpak said. "It will be a real challenge."

Braszo will need a strong defensive performance from Fulmore, who also plays safety, and cornerbacks Jarod Wright and Davon Dutrieville.

"Derrick is also the leader of our defense," Braszo said. "He was our only returning starter in the defensive backfield. Derrick, Jarod and Davon will have the huge responsibility with us facing such a strong passing attack."

Both teams have clinched a home site in the first round of the playoffs. The winner could be the top seed in the WPIAL playoffs, which begin next week.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/high-school-football/south-xtra-big-nine-title-on-line-as-bitter-rivals-clash-659059/#ixzz2AJ5O86ci

Game of the Week: West Mifflin (8-0) vs. Thomas Jefferson (8-0)

A long-awaited battle of unbeatens in the Big Nine Conference

By Craig Meyer / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Even before the first snap of the 2012 WPIAL football season, Thomas Jefferson and West Mifflin were expected to be among the upper echelon of teams in not only the Big Nine Conference, but in all of Class AAA.

As the season progressed and the teams remained undefeated, their season-ending meeting was viewed with a sense of cautious optimism, if only they could both avoid a loss along the way.

Now, that hope is a reality as the Jaguars and the Titans -- the only unbeaten teams in Class AAA -- will collide Friday night to determine the Big Nine championship.

Predictably, many of the story lines surrounding the game are centered around the teams' offenses, and understandably so. Averaging 44.8 and 40.8 points per game, respectively, Thomas Jefferson and West Mifflin are the highest-scoring teams in Class AAA, with both teams featuring star offensive players such as West Mifflin running back Jimmy Wheeler and Thomas Jefferson's pass-catch combo of Joe Carroll and Zach Schademan.

The defenses, however, might wind up being a much larger factor than expected.

While the offenses steal headlines, the Jaguars and Titans sport two of the statistically best defenses in Class AAA.

Thomas Jefferson allows 9.3 points per game, the second-best mark in Class AAA, with West Mifflin close behind at 10.3 points allowed per game. Neither team has allowed an opponent to score more than 28 points this season.

"I would say overshadowed," Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said when describing the teams' defenses. "It's just that the offenses have been so potent. That's kind of the glamor, but once you get in the playoffs, defense is what wins games."

Though their offensive production this season has been impressive, both teams saw their offenses stalled, or at least somewhat neutralized, when they played against Elizabeth Forward. Ranked in the top six in scoring defense in Class AAA (11.6 points per game allowed), the Warriors held both Thomas Jefferson (21) and West Mifflin (27) to their lowest scoring totals of the season, albeit in losses to both teams.

The winner automatically will be the No. 1 seed from the Big Nine, while the loser will be guaranteed the second spot, with both teams receiving home games in the opening round of the WPIAL playoffs.

"It's just a big game to be in," Cherpak said. "That's what high school football is all about, being in games like this."

Today

• Game: West Mifflin at Thomas Jefferson, 7:30 p.m.

• Where: Jaguar Stadium.

• Check this out: West Mifflin has not beaten Thomas Jefferson on the road in a regular season game since 1994, a 34-15 victory.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/high-school-football/game-of-the-week-west-mifflin-8-0-vs-thomas-jefferson-8-0-659289/#ixzz2AOz3rTNa

Thomas Jefferson runs on all cylinders in win

Defense, power offense stymies West Mifflin in 2nd half

October 27, 2012 12:23 am

By Mike White / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

With his team gathered around him on the field after the game, Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak presented defensive coordinator Jack Giran with the game ball.

Giran flashed a big smile and said the thing belonged to Thomas Jefferson's defensive players.

Everyone on the Thomas Jefferson side was just giddy about defense Friday night, and for good reason.

The Jaguars put together a stellar defensive effort in the second half against one of the WPIAL's best running backs. Coupled with a strong running game of its own in the final two quarters, Thomas Jefferson knocked off West Mifflin, 28-14, in a battle of WPIAL unbeatens.

The WPIAL Class AAA Big Nine Conference win gives Thomas Jefferson a perfect mark in the regular season for the eighth time overall and the sixth since Cherpak became coach in 1995. The Jaguars, who won the conference title, are 9-0 and likely will get the No. 1 seed in the Class AAA playoffs that begin next weekend.

West Mifflin finished the regular season 8-1 and will go into the playoffs as the second-place team in the Big Nine.

"They took away our running game, and we didn't take away theirs," said West Mifflin coach Ray Braszo.

West Mifflin's Jim Wheeler came into the game as the WPIAL's second-leading rusher with 1,543 yards and a 9.5 yards-per-carry average. He ran for 119 yards on 18 carries in the first half to help keep West Mifflin close. The Titans trailed, 21-14, at halftime.

But Wheeler had 12 yards on five carries in the second half to finish with 131.

"I knew it was going to come down to defense. I really did," Cherpak said.

"These types of games always seem to come down to defense in the second half and running the ball."

Cherpak heaped praise on Giran, a longtime coach who won WPIAL titles as a head coach at Steel Valley in the 1980s. Giran was an assistant at Steel Valley when Cherpak played there. Giran now lives the "retired" life in Florida and comes back to the Pittsburgh area for football season only. This is his third year as Thomas Jefferson's defensive coordinator.

"It's awesome to have him," Cherpak said. "He's been working on [West Mifflin] a long time. Every week, we'd do a game plan for that week's game, but he would break down West Mifflin [film], too."

West Mifflin managed 13 yards offense in the second half.

"I think we just got after it a little more in the second half," Giran said. "The thing is we're pretty young on defense. We have eight underclassmen on defense."

While Thomas Jefferson shut down West Mifflin's running game in the second half, TJ stuck to the ground and kept Wheeler off the field. Although Thomas Jefferson quarterback Joe Carroll threw for two touchdowns in the first half to give him a WPIAL-leading 33 this season, the Jaguars played power football in the second half. Carroll did not complete a pass in the second half.

But running back Jake Farrell ran for 68 yards on 15 carries in the second half and finished with 84 yards. The big key was a 15-play, 76-yard drive that chewed up 7:50 of the second-half clock and ended on Byron Minous' 3-yard touchdown run. That gave Thomas Jefferson a 28-14 lead with 6:35 left.

"A drive like that is very hard to do in high school," Cherpak said.

The first half had a few changes in momentum, and Thomas Jefferson took a 21-14 lead to the locker room.

Thomas Jefferson scored the first 14 points. Zach Schademan got things started when he returned the first punt 79 yards for a touchdown.

Thomas Jefferson then scored on its first possession, moving 72 yards in six plays for a score.

Carroll hit Dalton Dietrich on a 25-yard pass, and then threw 33 yards to Colton Booher on the next play for a touchdown. Evan Danscak's kick made it 14-0 with 3:18 left in the first quarter.

Then, Wheeler and West Mifflin came alive. Wheeler ran 62 yards to the Thomas Jefferson 10, and then scored a touchdown four plays later on a 1-yard run.

West Mifflin tied it, 14-14, moving 62 yards in eight plays for a score on its next possession. Wheeler capped it with a 5-yard touchdown run.

But Thomas Jefferson went back ahead, 21-14, when Jake Mascaro caught a 7-yard scoring pass from Carroll with 3:31 left in the half.

Then, in the second half, Thomas Jefferson was grounded, which was a good thing.

"If you want to win in the playoffs, you have to be able to run the ball and play good defense," Cherpak said. "For the most part, I think we just tackled better in the second half."

Braszo said: "The reality is you'd like to win the conference. But it all starts over again next week in the playoffs."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/high-school-football/thomas-jefferson-runs-on-all-cylinders-in-win-659438/#ixzz2AUwkbJp8

Thomas Jefferson grinds past West Mifflin

By Mark Kaboly

Published: Friday, October 26, 2012, 11:00 p.m.

Updated 12 hours ago

West Mifflin played two deep safeties and had its cornerbacks up on press coverage, just daring Thomas Jefferson to run the ball during Friday’s Big 9 showdown between the only unbeaten teams in Class AAA.

With a quarterback who has thrown 31 touchdown passes like Joe Carroll and a receiver who has caught 20 of them like Zach Schademan, that’s probably the right plan.

Well, maybe not on this day. Coach Bill Cherpak put away his pass-happy offense for a night and returned to the style a former collegiate offensive lineman would like: ground and pound.

Jake Farrell, who came in with only 84 carries, rushed 24 times for 82 yards, including 11 times in a game-changing, 15-play drive spanning 76 yards in the fourth quarter. The result: Thomas Jefferson has its 23rd conference championship and eighth undefeated regular season with a 28-14 win in front of a standing room-only crowd of more than 6,000 at Jaguars Stadium.

The Jaguars likely will receive the top seed in Class AAA at Monday’s playoff pairings meeting.

“We knew we had to pound the ball,” senior center Pat Hall said. “And boy did it feel good doing it.”

Thomas Jefferson (9-0, 8-0) has averaged nearly 20 pass attempts per game. The Jags attempted four passes the entire second half.

“We really didn’t plan on passing the ball much in the second half,” Cherpak said. “That was fine. It kept it open for us to run.”

Instead, West Mifflin (8-1, 7-1) continued to show it’s a team that wins by running the ball. The WPIAL’s second-leading rusher, Jimmy Wheeler, had 121 yards in the first half. He was held to 10 the rest of the way.

“They can run the ball, too,” West Mifflin coach Ray Braszo said. “It’s been passing, passing, passing, but they can control the ball. It has been their method of operation for years.”

Thomas Jefferson raced to a 14-0 lead on a Schademan 79-yard punt return followed by a Carroll-to-Colton Booher 34-yard strike. Wheeler answered with a pair of touchdowns before another Carroll touchdown right before halftime to Jake Mascaro gave TJ a 21-14 lead.

TJ went to the ground in the second half and pulled a West Mifflin — it grounded the game out. Farrell gained 60 yards on 11 carries on a drive that ended with a Byron Minous 3-yard run.

“All of those plays and first downs, you could see the air coming out of them,” Hall said. “They have been known as the running team all year, so to pound it down their throat feels good.”