No surprises when Belle Vernon, Thomas Jefferson meet in anticipated rematch

By: Jeremy Sellew
Thursday, November 18, 2021 | 11:01 AM

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When Belle Vernon and Thomas Jefferson meet Friday in a WPIAL Class 4A semifinal, there won’t be anything to hide.

The teams know pretty much exactly what the other wants to do. It’s just a matter of who can stop it.

The Leopards (9-0) and the Jaguars (8-2) met Sept. 24, when Belle Vernon quarterback Devin Whitlock called game with a 40-yard touchdown run with four seconds to go in a 28-21 win. In that game, the Leopards lost running back Quinton Martin to a knee injury.

Heading into Friday’s matchup, while both coaches know what each team likes to do, neither knows exactly what to expect.

“With these two teams, there’s definitely familiarity. They know us, we know their tendencies, but I think they’re still more difficult to prepare for because they have Devin Whitlock,” TJ coach Bill Cherpak said. “Why he doesn’t have more big-school offers from the ones around here just blows my mind. If I have a team, I’d want him in a heartbeat.”

The problem for Cherpak is trying to simulate everything the athletic signal-caller brings to the table.

“Every game you watch with him, it’s the same thing. You feel like you have him defended well, but he’s so strong,” Cherpak said. “The kickoff return he had against New Castle, they just about ripped his head off and he still got free. He’s so tough. I don’t know why teams aren’t offering him.”

Whitlock has passed for 828 yards this season and carried the ball for 960. He’s joined in the backfield by Martin, a sophomore who has rushed for 737 yards this season and is rolling for over 12 yards per carry.

“Quinton is more of a downhill runner. Not quite as shifty, but he’s athletic and he hits the hole hard. He’ll run through you,” Cherpak said. “He’s not a guy that’s going to shake you and make you miss, but he’s a big physical runner with great speed.”

Humbert, meanwhile, will have to contend with the powerful running game of the Jaguars, who only attempted one pass in last week’s 42-14 win at Hampton.

TJ ran for over 300 yards, including 114 yards by quarterback Joe Lekse and 101 by sophomore running back Elias Lippincott.

“When it comes to them, you don’t really do anything wholesale differently,” Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert said. “They’re different in terms of personnel, but they’re going to line up and look to beat you at the point of attack. They have the dudes up front that they can blow anyone off the ball. I think the prep for us is we have to limit that, and everything is based upon stopping Lekse from running the ball.”

Lekse has run 118 times for 626 yards this season and has a whopping 18 rushing touchdowns.

“We have to narrow the scope. We can’t get overly creative. They’re a simple offense, but they’re very complex in how they maneuver their personnel,” Humbert added.

Cherpak has raved about the job Lekse has done this season. He’s not the prototypical quarterback teams are used to seeing in Jefferson Hills.

“Joe’s that ultimate team player. He is that guy that’s willing to go out there and do whatever he needs to do to win,” Cherpak said. “It could be running, blocking, passing. … He’s the guy that’s played three different positions defensively. We didn’t know he would be that guy, but he’s just the heartbeat of our team.”

Lippincott, who suffered a sprained ankle against Hampton, has flourished just by getting varsity reps this season. He’s taken the rushing load from Conner Murga and thrived. He’s rushed for 854 yards so far this season.

“The biggest thing for him was just getting the reps,” Cherpak said. “He’s split time with Conner and now he’s understanding his style. He’s going to run downhill and he’s going to fall forward for a few extra yards every time he’s tackled.”

In the last meeting, big plays were the difference as Martin ran back a kickoff and Whitlock had his long run. It was something Cherpak worried about heading into that game.

“We went back and watched that game again. I think defensively our alignment was wrong something like 37 of the 56 snaps,” Cherpak said. “I don’t know if that was the difference, but we just have to go back and look at the things we could have done better.

“We won the WPIAL more times when we weren’t the No. 1 seed. There was no surprise that we are seeing them again. Every time they beat us in the regular season, we ended up beating them in the playoffs. We make sure the guys know that when we come in here and start to prepare.

“The thing is, they have great skill players. They’ve geared everything toward this year and have all the pieces in place. This is the year they know they’ve gotta do it, and so far they’ve done it. We knew we were going to see them again.”

Last week, Humbert was not impressed with the Leopards’ 45-20 win over New Castle. He admitted the bye week probably wasn’t the best thing for his team.

“That’s one thing you put in perspective,” he said. “In the end, you have to remember, you’re still dealing with kids. Our captains, our seniors, we always have a way of resetting ourselves. Everyone puts emphasis on the TJ rematch when the brackets come out, so I don’t want to come out and say maybe we were looking ahead. It was just one of those weird, funky nights.

“Now, both teams stand in the way of the other’s goal. I think we’re a little undersized, but I think we’re a little more athletic. We’re going to rely on those athletes showing that. We absolutely have to showcase our athleticism. I expect it’s going to be a battle Friday night. We’re confident and we have to come through now. On both sides, our skill kids have to carry us and the others have to do their jobs.”

Tags: Belle Vernon, Thomas Jefferson