Thomas Jefferson seniors wrapping up impressive football run

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, November 24, 2017 | 11:00 PM

Senior leadership has been a strength of the Thomas Jefferson football team this season.

Historically, it's a trademark of the program.

The 20-member senior class is represented by Sean Bell (RB/LB), Matt Bittner (OL/DL), E.J. Brueggman (WR/DB), Logan Burnsworth (OL/DE), Jared Collington (WR/DB), Matt Dadig (OL/DL), Devin Danielson (OL/DL), Spencer Everley (OL/DL), Garret Fairman (WR/DB), Chris Gooch (WR/DB), Brayden Lautner (WR/DB), Davin Manfredi (WR/DB), Jimmy McCoy (RB/DB), Noah Palmer (TE/DE), Nathan Pearson (OL/DL), Alex Ruffing (WR/DB), Nico Stoicovy (WR/DB), Nick Urbanowicz (WR/DB), Justin Vigna (RB/DB) and Nathan Weir (OL/DL).

Since their sophomore season, the Jaguars have won three WPIAL championships and compiled a 34-3 record against WPIAL opponents.

Thomas Jefferson blanked Montour, 27-0, in this year's WPIAL Class 4A championship game at a rain-soaked Heinz Field.

“Every year it's a whole new beginning, and winning it this year has been the sweetest one yet,” Fairman said. “Being a leader on the team that won a WPIAL title, I'm very very fortunate to say that.”

TJ has several big-time athletes on this year's team, led by the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Fairman.

He provided the Jaguars with an offensive spark in the WPIAL championship game, scoring on a 67-yard punt return midway through the first quarter.

“Garret's punt return to get us the first score was a great example of a senior leader stepping up in a big game and making a play,” Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said. “Garret has been the main senior leader this year, but many of the other players are leaders in their own way, and not just seniors. Shane Stump has stepped up as a leader on offense, along with many other players.”

Stump, a 6-1, 175-pound sophomore quarterback, tossed two touchdown passes to sophomore Dan Deabner against Montour. Stump, who also scored on a 3-yard run, raised his season passing totals to 1,483 yards and 24 touchdowns. He did not throw an interception in the WPIAL playoffs.

Thomas Jefferson has won 10 consecutive WPIAL playoff games over the past three years and has outscored its playoff opposition 387-42, including 277-7 over the past two years.

The Jaguars defeated the following in succession: Armstrong (42-7), West Allegheny (14-0), Franklin Regional (34-21), Central Valley (20-7), in 2015; Montour (35-0), West Mifflin (35-7), New Castle (42-0), in 2016; and Trinity (42-0), Belle Vernon (27-0), Montour (27), in 2017.

“It's such a great feeling because most teams don't get to experience going to Heinz let alone winning three the WPIAL championship three times in a row,” Palmer said.

Vigna rushed for 125 yards on 26 carries at Heinz Field, lifting his 2017 rushing totals to 1,826 yards on 242 carries with 23 touchdowns.

“The experience is just all-around amazing,” Vigna said, “especially seeing all the hard work pay off since Day 1. We've achieved one of our biggest goals this year.”

Among the senior team members are several interesting or unique nicknames, led undoubtedly by Collington (Cyrena) and Pearson (Parsnips). Fairman and Manfredi also are known as G-Money and D-Man, respectively, and Palmer also goes by Plammy or Plammer.

Other notable nicknames are owned by Bittner (Bitty), Everley (Severly), McCoy (Himmy), Urbanowicz (Urb) and Vigna (Vigs).

And for Stoicovy, being a TJ football player can be boiled down to four words: dedication, responsibility, determination, family.

Other “senior notes” in the TJ football program:

• Bell started his football career as a member of the youth program when was 5.

• Ruffing, who occasionally listens to jazz music, said his favorite football memory is “winning (at) Heinz the first time.”

• McCoy (Nov. 5) and Palmer (Nov. 7) recently celebrated their 18th birthdays.

• Danielson, who will be 18 on Dec. 23, plays the cello; Manfredi plays the violin.

• Burnsworth is on the cusp of becoming an Eagle Scout.

• McCoy and Fairman have 4.2 and 4.0 GPAs, respectively.

• Brueggman's favorite music artist is Zac Brown.

• Pearson and Ruffing were born on the same day — Feb. 24, 2000.

• Everley stands 6-7 and weighs 230 pounds.

• Weir used to play basketball and soccer.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Thomas Jefferson