TJ 48 vs EF 0

TJ's 1st-half TD barrage subdues Elizabeth Forward

It looks like TJ is back.

After an uncharacteristic 0-2 start, Thomas Jefferson, a perennial WPIAL title contender, evened its record Friday night with its second consecutive victory and did it in a big way, routing visiting Elizabeth Forward, 48-0, in a Class AAA Big 10 Conference game.

Braden Pahanish rushed for 165 yards on five carries and Quinton Hill scored touchdowns on all three of his attempts, finishing with 132 yards rushing for the Jaguars (2-2, 2-2).

Pahanish and Zane Zandier each scored two touchdowns for Thomas Jefferson. The Jaguars were without quarterback Bobby Kelley, who has been sidelined since the start of the season with appendicitis.

“We just don't know when he'll be able to get back,” Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said. “He goes to get checked again next week. There's a lot to think about.”

For one night, at least, Cherpak was thinking his players were starting to catch on. The Jaguars scored on seven of their eight first-half possessions. They led 21-0 after the first quarter and 48-0 at halftime.

“You wonder how they were 0-2 to start the season. They are a very, very good team,” Elizabeth Forward coach Mike Collodi said.

Hill's three carries resulted in touchdown runs of 19, 78 and 35 yards. Pahanish scored on runs of 20 and 56 yards, and Zandier on rushes of 17 and 7 yards as Thomas Jefferson scored all its points in the first half.

TJ pulled away from Laurel Highlands with 20 fourth-quarter points last week for its first victory, 40-14.

“We preached to them to limit their mistakes,” Cherpak said. “Each week, we want to get better at that, and I feel as though we're starting to get back to our old ways. Sometimes, when you go back and watch film of the games, you can see where we weren't playing as hard as we can on every play.”

Thomas Jefferson wasted little time scoring. Once the Jaguars did, things snowballed.

After Elizabeth Forward (1-3, 1-3) punted following its first possession, Zandier scored for Thomas Jefferson on a 17-yard run on its first play from scrimmage.

TJ's second possession resulted in quarterback Julian Metro throwing an interception. But Elizabeth Forward could not capitalize. In fact, the Warriors struggled from the start.

“We went into this season with the mentality we're going to turn around this program — change the culture, if you will,” Collodi said. “This game certainly is one we're going to take a hard look at. We can use it as a teaching tool, motivation.”

Pahanish's first carry on Thomas Jefferson's third possession resulted in a 20-yard touchdown run and a 21-0 lead.

Hill's first carry on the Jaguars' fourth possession was a 19-yard touchdown run, and he followed it up on the fifth possession with a 78-yard scoring scamper.

Pahanish's 56-yard touchdown run on the sixth possession gave Thomas Jefferson a 34-0 lead, one point shy of triggering a running clock in the second half.

Zandier raced 7 yards for a score to increase the lead to 41-0 before Hill's 35-yard touchdown run gave Thomas Jefferson its 48-point cushion.

“The biggest emphasis has to be on not beating ourselves,” Cherpak said. “It's about us not making mistakes.”

Thomas Jefferson watched a 58-game home winning streak end in a 31-24 loss to No. 9 Belle Vernon on Sept. 11. The Jaguars, who fell out of the WPIAL rankings after that game, opened the year losing to No. 4 Ringgold, 27-20.

“They look like a typical TJ team to me,” Collodi said. “That's what we think a successful program should be about. We're going to keep working to get there. It's not going to happen overnight.”