TJ 48 vs Laurel Highlands 19

Thomas Jefferson rides running game in rout of Laurel Highlands

By Ray Judy

Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014, 12:24 a.m.

Updated 9 hours ago

Thomas Jefferson running back Austin Kemp continues to outdo himself.The senior carried 26 times for 279 yards and scored all seven of TJ's touchdowns to lead the third-ranked Jaguars (3-0, 3-0 Big 9) past Laurel Highlands, 48-19, in a Class AAA game at Jaguar Stadium on Friday night.

Kemp rushed for five touchdowns in TJ's 44-12 win over Belle Vernon last week, and has 776 rushing yards for the season.

Kemp's performance and TJ's overall dominance did not surprise Jaguars coach Bill Cherpak.

“We did pretty much what we wanted to do,” Cherpak said. “We expected (Kemp) to run the ball well, we expected to block well — and it's what we did.”

It looked as if upstart Laurel Highlands (2-1, 2-1 Big 9) might give TJ trouble in the early going.

The Mustangs matched TJ score-for-score in the first quarter and trailed 14-13 heading into the second. That's when things went awry for Laurel Highlands.

A fumble on the Mustangs' first possession of the second quarter allowed TJ to march 20 yards in three plays to take a 21-13 lead.

Kemp struck from the defensive side on Laurel Highlands ensuing possession, taking a Jimmy Pierce interception 40 yards to put the Jaguars ahead 28-13.

“You can't give (TJ) a 20-yard field. They're too good,” said Laurel Highlands coach Zack Just. “Next possession we throw a pick-six, and now all of a sudden a one-score game is a three-score game.

“They're too good of a team to give 14 points to.”

Despite a strong start from Laurel Highlands — which already has matched its win total from the previous two seasons combined — Just saw no silver lining after his team's most recent performance.

“You can't lose by that many points and have positives,” Just said.

“We didn't come here to just play for a quarter this year. We wanted this game to be competitive, and it wasn't.

“They made plays, and we didn't.”

Kemp scored from 11 yards out to give TJ a 7-0 lead with 8:35 left in the first quarter. The Mustangs responded with a six-play, 63-yard drive capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Pierce to Chad Livingston.

Kemp quickly added his second touchdown run of the night — a 17-yarder — but Laurel Highlands answered with a Pierce 1-yard touchdown run to cut TJ's lead to 14-13.

The Jaguars went on to score 34 unanswered points en route to their 53rd consecutive home victory.

Thomas Jefferson 48, Laurel Highlands 19

Austin Kemp scored seven touchdowns, six via rushing attempts and one on an interception, as the No. 2 Jaguars (3-0, 3-0) pounded the visiting Mustangs (2-1, 2-1) in a Big Nine Conference game. Kemp rushed for 321 yards on 27 carries to improve his season totals to 818 yards and 89 carries. He leads the WPIAL with 16 touchdowns.

Cherpak, Kemp credit Thomas Jefferson's stout offensive line

By Ray Fisher

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014, 6:14 p.m.

Updated 21 hours ago

Austin Kemp is the headliner in the Thomas Jefferson football program.

The senior running back/linebacker's gaudy statistics warrant that.

Kemp started the season with a flurry, and has attained bigger and better numbers week by week.

Monstrous numbers.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Kemp accounted for 321 yards rushing and scored seven touchdowns last week in his team's 48-19 conference win against visiting Laurel Highlands.

“Austin's just a tough kid to tackle and bring down,” Bill Cherpak, Thomas Jefferson's head coach, said. “He's a power runner with speed, and he adjusts well.”

Kemp averaged 11.8 yards per carry and scored on touchdown runs of 11, 17, 1, 16, 1 and 4 yards against the Mustangs.

He also returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter while playing defense.

With his 42-point performance, Kemp set a new school record for points in one game — breaking the previous mark of 36 points established by Wayne Fisher in 1965 and tied by Jon Drager in 2003.

Kemp, who ran for 1,101 yards and scored 17 touchdowns in 2013 after missing his sophomore season with an injury, leads the WPIAL with 818 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.

The humble TJ gridder respectfully credited the Jaguars' offensive linemen for his early season prosperity.

“The offensive line is one of the greatest aspects of our team,” he said. “Through three games, they've dominated defenses. Any (TJ) running back that gets the ball barely gets touched until they've already picked up 5 yards.”

The offensive line, indeed, has been a huge part of the the Jaguars' sensational success story so far in 2014.

“It's been a whole by-product of the offensive line, tight ends and the running backs,” Cherpak said. “They've been working well together. The key thing is they're all on the same page.

“We had four linemen graduate last year. This is the best we've come along on the offensive line, as far as how fast they've come along.”

Kemp sets up behind a strapping offensive line of junior tackle Dylan Vissari (6-3, 265), senior guard Charles Warfield (6-1, 270), senior center Jacob Guinn (6-1, 240), senior guard Zach Reynolds (5-11, 240) and senior tackle Harrison Everley (6-6, 315).

Guinn, a third-year starter, is the anchor in the TJ trenches.

“The team has played well, but I know we can play much better,” Guinn said. “We are not satisfied with how we have performed so far this year. We have had way too many penalties and mental mistakes, but I believe we will get much better.”

Two seniors, Russell Siess (6-2, 210) and Corey Payne (6-4, 225), along with sophomore Jake Giegerich (6-1, 195), share time at the tight end position.

The trio has only one reception between them — a 13-yard touchdown grab by Siess in the Jaguars' season opener — but nonetheless have provided an assortment of crunching blocks on opponents.

“The tight ends have just been great,” Cherpak said.

And the Jaguars are both strong and deep at the running back position. Cherpak offered high praise to this year's group of running backs.

“We have a lot of depth, a lot of good running backs,” Cherpak said. “This is the best we've ever been at running back.”

Kemp is joined in the backfield by junior Braden Pahanish (5-11, 195) and senior Kyle Senich (5-8, 185), both punishing lead blockers for the Jaguars, along with juniors Ryan Scanlon (5-10, 170) and Ricky Daley (5-5, 165).

“Our biggest strength as a team is how we work together,” said Kemp, a starter at linebacker as a freshman. “We all try to motivate and push each other to be the best player they can be. We are more like a family than a team. All the players are friends who hang out and go (out to) eat when we aren't playing football.”

The Jaguars (3-0, 3-0) will travel a short distance on Route 51 on Friday to meet rival Elizabeth Forward (2-1, 2-1) in another Big Nine Conference matchup.

Elizabeth Forward outlasted Trinity last week, winning by a 33-28 score.

“It is always a challenge when we play EF because it is a rivalry game. Team records and stats usually don't matter,” Cherpak said. “They have an excellent running back and some good size on the line. We need to prepare well and eliminate our mistakes with penalties and turnovers, and we should be fine.”