TJ 40 vs Laurel Highlands 14

Thomas Jefferson tops Laurel Highlands for 1st victory

Laurel Highlands found out Friday night heavyweights don't go down easy, even when they're on the ropes.

Perennial Class AAA powerhouse Thomas Jefferson scored the game's final 27 points to defeat the Mustangs, 40-14, in Big 10 Conference action.

Thomas Jefferson came into Friday's game 0-2 for the first time in 21 seasons under coach Bill Cherpak. The Jaguars (1-2, 1-2) let second-half leads slip away the past two weeks, but this time, with Laurel Highlands poised to jump in front early in the fourth quarter, Thomas Jefferson's defense held pat following a Laurel Highlands first-and-goal from the 7-yard line.

“Finally, we closed it out at the end,” Cherpak said. “We had to get on the winning side of things.”

After Zane Zandier scored his third touchdown to give Thomas Jefferson a 20-14 lead with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter, Laurel Highlands drove deep into Jaguars' territory. A 24-yard run by Lucas Boyle gave Laurel Highlands a first-and-goal, and wideout Chad Livingston carried for 3 yards on the next play. However, he suffered an undisclosed injury on the carry, and he did not return. This took away one of the Mustangs' top offensive threats and quarterback Jimmy Pierce's favorite target.

On second down, Pierce was sacked for a 9-yard loss, and on third down, running back Christian Jones carried for 8 yards, leaving Laurel Highlands facing a fourth-and-goal from the 5. Laurel Highlands (2-1, 2-1) ran quickly to the line of scrimmage and snapped the ball, but Pierce's pass into the middle of the end zone was picked off by Thomas Jefferson's Nick Freiwald.

Three plays later, the Jaguars' Quinton Hill scored on a 41-yard run and just like that, Thomas Jefferson's lead was 12 points. Two possessions later, the Jaguars' Jon Muehlbauer intercepted Pierce and returned the pick 67 yards for a touchdown. Muehlbauer intercepted Pierce on the ensuing play from scrimmage, and Hill scored his second touchdown five plays later.

“After that first interception, things snowballed,” Laurel Highlands coach Zack Just said. “It wasn't a bad pass; their kid made a good play. But playing three good quarters is no longer good enough for this program.”

Hill came off the bench offensively and finished with 11 carries for 189 yards and two touchdowns. After the game, Hill said he and the rest of his Thomas Jefferson teammates had plenty of motivation for the game.

“We read on the internet the headlines, ‘Has Thomas Jefferson lost its invincibility?' ” Hill said. “We talked about that all week right up to game time. I can't wait to read the paper tomorrow morning.”

Pierce wound up completing 10 of 28 passes for 205 yards, with Livingston hauling in three receptions for 136 yards and two scores. The first covered 55 yards and tied the game at 7-7, while the second came midway through the third quarter and went for 55 yards, giving Laurel Highlands it's only lead, 14-13.

“We don't mind throwing the ball, but we don't want to have to throw it on second-and-long and third-and-long like we had to tonight,” Just said.