No. 1 TJ rolls over No. 2 Belle Vernon
Offensive line steps up to control second half
Dance music blared from the locker room of Thomas Jefferson after the top- ranked Jaguars handled No. 2 Belle Vernon, 42- 21, in a marquee Class 4A Big Eight Conference showdown.
The upbeat tunes made perfect sense a few moments later when Jaguars coach Bill Cherpak described the game as a coming out party for the offensive line.
The lineman led the way for running back DeRon VanBibber, who had a huge game with 161 yards on 32 carries. The score was tied, 21- 21, at halftime before Thomas Jefferson bulldozed to the finish.
“We were attacking them and not letting them attack us,” Cherpak said. “That was the difference. That was the coming- out party for our offensive line. They needed that and they really performed in the second half.”
The pass- blocking was exceptional as well, as Jake Pugh completed 14 of 24 passes for 213 yards and three scores.
Pugh, who began Friday as the fifthleading passer in the WPIAL, added three more scores on the ground. Each of those covered 1 yard.
Thomas Jefferson ( 3- 0) pitched a shutout in the second half and outscored the Leopards ( 2- 1), 21- 0.
The first half was another story. Both teams came out firing and neither could stop the other. Belle Vernon quarterback Devin Whitlock got his team up first with a 2- yard run.
The Jaguars answered when Pugh hit Ian Hansen from 34 yards out. Less than 30 second had ticked off the game clock when Whitlock answered by launching a 60- yard touchdown pass that was hauled in by Quinton Martin. Pugh then punched in the first of his 1yard runs to tie the score at 14- 14.
The teams again traded touchdowns in the second quarter.
First, Pugh rolled to his left and found Rex Miller in the back of the end zone from 12 yards out. Not to be outdone, Whitlock rolled out and found Tanner Steeber for a 9- yard strike just before the break to make the score 2121 at halftime.
The quick pace of the first half slowed in the second and that grind- itout style favored Thomas Jefferson and its strong play along the line.
“They played a perfect second half and we played a sloppy second half,” said Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert. “If you’re going to give them an opportunity to hold that ball for five, six minutes, they’re going to end up with six points on the board.”
A big interception by Shultz Reinhart in the third quarter set up another score, as the Jaguars dominated the final two quarters.
Thanks to the interception and three- and- out stops, the Jaguars controlled the ball for the majority of the third quarter.
“The pick in the second half threw all the momentum to us,” Cherpak said. “We used a lot of clock on those drives and didn’t let them have the ball. They’re a good football team. They’re so explosive, so to take the ball out of their hands is a big deal.”
Thomas Jefferson pounded out 193 yards on the ground. The Jaguars outgained Belle Vernon in total yards, 406232.
Thomas Jefferson also had 21 first downs, compared to eight for the Leopards.
The victory was the 19th in a row for Thomas Jefferson, which also has won five in a row against the Leopards, including a win in the 2019 WPIAL final.