Expect ‘throwback game’ when Thomas Jefferson, Mars collide in playoff opener

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, October 30, 2025 | 11:34 PM

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Being a former lineman himself, Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak likes the look of a six-man offensive line, a run-game tactic the Jaguars have used lately.

“I’ll put 10 linemen in there next,” Cherpak said with a laugh.

The reigning WPIAL champions hope to defend their Class 4A title largely by running the football, starting at 7 p.m. Friday when No. 4 seed Thomas Jefferson hosts No. 5 Mars in a playoff opener.

A year after leading the WPIAL in rushing yards, TJ running back Tyler Eber is averaging a strong 165 yards per game. The junior has 30 touchdowns, at times running behind an oversized line with an extra blocker added.

But in this matchup, Thomas Jefferson isn’t the only team with a potent ground game. Mars senior Ayden Yocum averages 173 yards rushing and has scored 18 times.

So, the offense that runs best Friday has an edge.

“It’s going to be a throwback game without a doubt,” Mars coach Eric Kasperowicz said. “We’ll probably throw a little bit more than they do, but it’s pretty simple: The most physical team is going to win.”

In fact, Mars out-rushed Thomas Jefferson by more than 350 yards in the regular season. The Planets rolled up 2,308 yards on the ground to the Jaguars’ 1,948.

“As much as (Mars wide receiver Gabe Hein) has a lot of stats, they’re a running football team,” Cherpak said.

The Class 4A bracket has only eight teams and starts in the quarterfinal round. Among the six classifications, this one is arguably among the most unpredictable.

Mars (8-2) could’ve drawn a seed anywhere from second to sixth as runner-up in the Greater Allegheny. Likewise, Thomas Jefferson (8-2) wasn’t assured of a home game as the Big Six runner-up. Ultimately, the WPIAL paired the teams up, creating the first matchup between Cherpak and Kasperowicz, two of the league’s top coaches.

This is Kasperowicz’s fourth season at Mars, and he has led the Planets to the playoffs every year. They reached the semifinals the past two seasons behind a now-senior class that includes Yocum and Hein.

“We’ve been close,” Kasperowicz said. “They got a taste of it. That’s what we kind of talk about with this senior class. Can they be the class that gets us over the hump?”

Hein, a Sacred Heart recruit, has 848 yards on 54 catches and 12 total touchdowns. He scored three times in last week’s 42-7 win over Indiana, including a 75-yard punt return.

Yocum, who scored twice last week, has rushed for 1,731 yards on 204 carries.

Leading the offense is quarterback Colin Yurisinec, a sophomore with 1,346 passing yards and 12 touchdown passes. Yurisinec has completed 103 of 158 passes (65%) with only four interceptions.

“I think they’re very similar to us,” Cherpak said. “They don’t do a million different things, but they’re very good at doing what they do. They don’t make mistakes. They don’t give you anything.”

Thomas Jefferson is coming off a 58-7 win over Laurel Highlands that included 135 rushing yards and three touchdowns by Eber. He has 1,653 rushing yards on 271 carries.

Sophomore quarterback Harrison Kolling has passed for 686 yards and seven touchdowns. His top target is junior Kane Eggerton (16 catches, four TDs). The two connected for a 17-yard touchdown last week.

“They are what they are,” Kasperowicz said. “They’re going to try to line up and run the ball with a great tailback. They try to lull you to sleep and throw the ball over your head with play action and screen game. You’ve got to be able to stop the run or at least slow it down.”

A rash of injuries hindered Thomas Jefferson this season, at times leaving the Jaguars without multiple starters. They’re getting healthier, but the six-man line was born out of necessity.

“Two of our tight ends were out, so we ended up going with a heavy lineup,” Cherpak said. “We moved some linemen around, and it’s really been productive for us. That’s something good that came out of it, and we’re going to continue to use that.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Mars, Thomas Jefferson