Thomas Jefferson finds ‘true identity’ ahead of WPIAL playoff test vs. West Allegheny

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, October 31, 2024 | 3:08 PM

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It’s tough to win in November as a WPIAL football team with an identity crisis.

“That’s when they’re trying to do everything and they’re average at everything,” said Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak, whose Jaguars don’t have that problem.

They’ve got a talented passer, but they’ve also long established themselves as a team that prefers to run the ball. They’re doing that successfully this fall behind sophomore running back Tyler Eber, who has 222 carries in nine games.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Eber has 1,342 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. He shouldered a season-high 39 carries in a win over McKeesport.

“You always try to adapt to the personnel you have,” Cherpak said. “Last year we were a more receiver-oriented, quarterback-oriented team. We spread the ball out and threw a little more, which wasn’t our true identity. But that’s what we had. Now, we know who we are. We want to pound the ball. We want to be physical. And our line loves that part of it.

“They want to line up and go at people.”

No. 1 seed Thomas Jefferson (10-0) hosts No. 8 West Allegheny (4-3) in a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Friday. It’s a matchup of conference champions, with TJ winning the Big Six title outright and West A finishing as a tri-champion in the Parkway.

West Allegheny coaches anticipated this matchup since 4A has only an eight-team bracket.

“We had already started to do some breakdown on them,” West A coach Dave Schoppe said. “I’m sure TJ is prepared as well. We’re going to have to play one of our best games in all three phases.”

Like TJ, West Allegheny has a well-established identity. It starts with Brock Cornell, a do-it-all senior who leads the team in touchdowns and tackles. The Indians prefer to run the ball, control the clock and play stout defense.

Conference foes averaged 8.2 points.

“They know their identity,” Cherpak said. “They know what they are and that’s what they’re going to do.”

Cornell is a 5-11, 185-pound running back and safety committed to Penn. He was injured midseason and West Allegheny lost twice. He returned a few weeks ago, and the Indians are coming off a 13-7 win over Montour where Cornell rushed 31 times for 140 yards and a touchdown.

West A ran the ball 50 times and passed it seven.

“Obviously, No. 7 is their guy,” Cherpak said. “They do so many different things with him at tailback, receiver, quarterback. … You’ve got to be on your toes all the time to make sure you’re lined up right and in good position to contain him.”

Brock Cornell leads the team with 920 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He has combined with sophomore Brody Cornell and senior Roman Police for 1,818 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on 230 carries.

The older Cornell also has a team-high 76 tackles.

“Defensively, (the Cornell brothers) are our two safeties who are making the majority of the calls back there,” Schoppe said. “Brock is a captain. He’s like having a coach on the field. And offensively, he’s a stud. We try to get him the ball as much as possible because he makes things happen.”

Thomas Jefferson finished the regular season with a 49-7 win over Laurel Highlands. Eber rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.

Senior quarterback Luke Kosko completed 7 of 9 passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns. Top receiver Brayden White caught all three.

Kosko has passed for 1,469 yards with 17 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

“He’s taking what’s there,” Cherpak said. “We’re not trying to force things. He understands, ‘Hey look. We’re a running team that throws the ball. Not a throwing team that runs the ball.’ He really has a good grasp of that and understands what we want to do.”

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: Thomas Jefferson, West Allegheny