Led by Tyler Eber, Thomas Jefferson grounds and pounds Chartiers Valley to secure playoff spot

By: Kyle Dawson
Friday, October 17, 2025 | 11:41 PM

Tyler Eber on the carry for the Jaguars.

What’s become a signature phrase for any public address announcer over the years when the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars play a football game with “insert bellcow running back here” was apparent again as the Jaguars ran their way to a playoff berth in Week 8 action at Chartiers Valley with a 45-6 win Friday night.

Eber ran for 334 yards on 41 attempts and scored four times as Thomas Jefferson moved to 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the Class 4A Big Six Conference. Coupled with Trinity’s win over Laurel Highlands, the Jaguars clinched a playoff spot.

The Jaguars took the ground game on the road after rolling over Ringgold last week and rushed for more than 400 yards as a team against the Colts, who fell to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big Six Conference with their second straight loss.

“We lean on our line. That was the game plan and it worked,” said Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak. “The line takes such pride in being physical and having the game in their hands. We wore them down for sure.”

Thomas Jefferson scored on its first offensive drive, using about six minutes of the first quarter to punch it in on a 6-yard pass from Harrison Kolling to Kane Eggerton. On the second drive, the first call went to Eber, who, after running for 30-plus on the first drive, took the ball 90 yards to paydirt before continuing to run out of the back of the end zone on the long score, putting him over 100 yards on the first two drives.

A late field goal from 32 yards by Sam Wessel put the Jags up 17-0 at the break.

Cherpak said his linemen in the locker room wanted to just keep running and pushing bodies around.

“Our game is play defense, run the ball and control the clock,” said Cherpak. “We do need to make some bigger plays in the passing game and as kids come back, it should help.”

The Jags got three touchdown runs from Eber to start the second half — of 40, 10 and 1 yard — putting the game into the mercy rule at 38-0.

Luke Miranda found Owen Weagraff for the lone Chartiers Valley score of the night with 9:09 to play in the fourth. A 2-point run failed, leaving the score 38-6.

The Jaguars called on Emmett Forte on their next drive and he scored the capper from 18 yards out to make it 45-6.

“(Eber) is a great back, but he has a great line and they go hand in hand,” said Chartiers Valley coach Steve Spence. “There’s a reason that program is a gold standard program in Western Pennsylvania. That was an all-around butt-kicking that we have to come back from now. We had moments early where we moved the ball but we didn’t finish. We have to be able to execute better and continue to improve week-to-week.”

The Colts will now need an at-large bid to make the Class 4A playoffs. It’ll likely take a victory next week at home against Ringgold and maybe some help for the Colts to return to the playoffs for the first time in 2023, as the resurgent program is still in search of its first playoff victory since 2007.

Thomas Jefferson is coming home for a Week 9 tilt against Laurel Highlands, looking to continue to get healthy in a year Cherpak said is the most banged up he’s ever had a team in his 31 years as coach at Thomas Jefferson. The win was also Cherpak’s 330th as a head coach, putting him 12 behind Joe Hamilton for second in WPIAL history.

“As we get healthier, it’ll get better, but I really like where we’re at,” said Cherpak.

Tags: Chartiers Valley, Thomas Jefferson