Kane Eggerton’s 3 TDs help Thomas Jefferson roll past No. 5 Mars in WPIAL quarterfinals
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Friday, October 31, 2025 | 11:29 PM
Thomas Jefferson’s Dylan Beasock (right) celebrates with Kane Eggerton after Eggerton’s touchdown agains Mars during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Thomas Jefferson’s Kane Eggerton with a pick-six against Mars in the fourth quarter to seal the game during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Thomas Jefferson’s Tyler Eber leaves Mars’ Ayden Yocum behind on the way to a touchdown during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Thomas Jefferson’s Kane Eggerton avoids Mars’ Brady Brennan on the way to a second-quarter touchdown during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Mars’ Gabe Hein beats Thomas Jefferson’s Jarrett Becoate for a third-quarter touchdown during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Mars’ Jameson Garvin avoids Thomas Jefferson’s Kane Eggerton during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Thomas Jefferson’s Jaxson Kolling avoids Mars’ Smyth Dunaway (12) and Brody Spencer during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Mars’ Ayden Yocum pulls down Thomas Jefferson’s Kane Eggerton by the face mask during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Mars’ Smyth Dunaway gains yardage after a catch against Thomas Jefferson during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Thomas Jefferson’s Jarrett Becoate defends on a pass intended for Mars’ Gabe Hein during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Thomas Jefferson’s Kane Eggerton powers into the end zone against Mars’ Ayden Yocum and Brody Spencer during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Mars’ Smyth Dunaway pulls in a pass in the middle of the Thomas Jefferson defense during the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at Thomas Jefferson Stadium.
Thomas Jefferson’s Kane Eggerton used a three-touchdown night to remind everyone — including himself — that a turf-toe injury hadn’t diminished his knack for making big plays.
In the process, the junior also helped his Jaguars remind the WPIAL that they’re still the reigning champs. Eggerton caught two touchdown passes and returned an interception 98 yards for another score Friday as No. 4 Thomas Jefferson defeated No. 5 Mars, 31-14, in a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal that the Jaguars led from start to finish.
His pick-6 was one of four second-half turnovers forced by the Jaguars, who’d scored the game’s first 24 points and never let Mars rally.
“We went through this year with a bunch of guys injured,” said Eggerton, who’d missed four games to the foot injury. “But now that we’re all back, we’re really showing people who we are.”
A 6-foot-1, 203-pound wide receiver and defensive back, Eggerton intercepted two passes, including the pick-6 early in the fourth quarter that gave Thomas Jefferson a 31-8 lead and dashed Mars’ hopes.
Eggerton also caught six passes for 129 yards with first-half touchdown grabs of 19 and 29 yards as TJ’s offense passed the ball more effectively than it had all season.
“He makes plays when you need them,” TJ coach Bill Cherpak said. “He’s just a big-play guy and steps up in the moments. He’s so hard to defend because he’s so big.”
Thomas Jefferson (9-2) will face No. 1 McKeesport (8-3) next Friday in a semifinal at a site to be announced. TJ already defeated the Tigers once in Week 2, which was the game when Eggerton injured his toe.
Seeing the roster finally get healthy late in the season surely gave TJ some swagger back.
“I love that all of the receivers are all healthy,” said TJ sophomore quarterback Harrison Kolling, who passed for a season-high 167 yards with two TDs and one interception. “We’re all ready to go for this playoff run we’re going to have.”
TJ running back Tyler Eber rushed for 135 yards and a 40-yard touchdown on 38 carries, but the Jaguars did more damage through the air than usual. Cherpak said that was largely the result of calling run-pass options and Kolling deciding to throw.
Thomas Jefferson scored on its first four possessions and took a 24-0 lead in the second quarter on Kolling’s two TD passes.
“I thought we did a tremendous job against the run and made them earn every yard,” Mars coach Eric Kasperowicz said. “They made some timely passes. Hats off to them, it was a great plan. We came to stop the run.”
Kolling hadn’t completed more than seven passes or threw for more than 116 yards in a game all season. He went 9 for 19 passing against Mars, including seven completions in the first half.
“A lot of them were run-pass options, and Harrison loves throwing to Kane,” Cherpak said. “Kane missed five games. So, we’re kind of getting back into our ‘normal’ now. We had three other guys back this week, so we’re kind of getting back to where we were.”
Mars couldn’t get its offense unstuck early. The Planets managed just 7 yards of offense on their first three possessions but broke through with an 88-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Colin Yurisinec to senior Gabe Hein late in the second quarter.
Thomas Jefferson led 24-8 at halftime. The Jaguars’ only second-half points came on Eggerton’s pick-6, but four turnovers kept Mars from mounting a serious rally.
Yurisinec passed for 267 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He threw a 44-yard TD to Ayden Yocum in the fourth quarter.
Eggerton had two interceptions, Colton Barilla picked off another and Emmett Forte recovered a Mars fumble.
“It all starts in the film room,” Eggerton said. “We’ve been watching them all week. We know what’s coming. I told half the team before the game, ‘If they run that post, it’s a pick-6.’”
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
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