TJ 42 vs Trinity 0

Thomas Jefferson dominates Trinity behind defense, Hill's running

Thomas Jefferson overpowered Trinity with a strong running game and stingy defense in a 42-0 win on its homecoming in a Class AAA Big Ten Conference matchup between teams that were tied going into the night.

The Jaguars (3-2, 3-2) continued climbing back toward the top of the standings with their third straight win by dominating the Hillers (2-3, 2-3). TJ was led by Quinton Hill's 173 yards rushing and four touchdowns, including 60- and 67-yarders.

“It's starting to come together more and more,” said Jaguars coach Bill Cherpak. “We're really starting to find ourselves.”

Thomas Jefferson dominated the line of scrimmage. On defense, they held Trinity without a first-half first down and to a total of 8 yards.

Braden Pahanish completed Thomas Jefferson's opening drive with a 31-yard scoring run up the middle.

Thomas Jefferson's second scoring drive featured a 32-yard pass from quarterback Julian Metro to Jon Muehlbauer. Then Hill took over. The junior running back ran 32 yards to the Hillers 6-yard line, then completed the drive with a 4-yard sprint to the end zone two plays later for a 14-0 lead.

After being held to another three-and-out deep in its own territory, Trinity looked to regain some momentum with a fake option punt, but it was contained by Thomas Jefferson. Sam Trappuzzo was forced to roll right but still managed to send a punt 60 yards as he took a hit. The kick stayed in bounds and rolled to the TJ 3-yard line.

Undeterred, the Jaguars turned to Hill, whose 60-yard run completed the 97-yard drive and gave the Jaguars a commanding three-score lead.

The ensuing drive might have summed up Trinity's frustrating night best. Quarterback Dylan Kern avoided a Jaguar third down blitz and found Trappuzzo wide open down the right sideline, but the senior receiver could not hold onto the pass, and the score remained 21-0 at the half.

After the teams exchanged early third quarter possessions, the Jaguars added another short Hill run for a score that capped a long drive.

As the fourth quarter began, Hill broke another big run, going 67 yards untouched for a score.

“He really makes things happen,” Cherpak said. “He played really well tonight, but the line did a really great job, too. We were concerned with them (Trinity) because they're big and put so many guys in the box. But, our line was terrific in creating holes.”

Thomas Jefferson's defense held Trinity's offense to 72 total yards and three first downs and forced three turnovers, including a 30-yard interception return by senior linebacker Adam Staudt that sealed the rout.

“I was very pleased with our defense,” said Cherpak. “We saw that they (Trinity) could move the ball pretty well in their previous games, but as a group, our defense played really well.

“Now, we can't lose our focus. We have to continue getting better and concentrate on how we do things.”