Vigna, Stump guiding Thomas Jefferson offense

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 29, 2017 | 12:51 PM

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Justin Vigna bided his time; now he is the leading rusher on the powerhouse Thomas Jefferson football team.

Vigna, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior in his first year as a starter at the running back position at TJ, has gained 619 yards and 10 scores on only 57 carries this season..

He is averaging close to 156 yards rushing per game and 10.9 yards per carry. His top performance was against Greensburg Salem in Week 3 when he racked up 213 yards and two TDs on 16 rushing attempts.

“Justin's fearless as a runner,” said Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak earlier this season.. “He's going full speed when he hits the line. He's fast, and he has a great attitude. He waited his turn (at running back).”

Vigna, who has run the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds, gave credit to his staunch offensive linemen for his early season success.

“I couldn't ask for a better line,” Vigna said. “It's great running behind guys that are big and tough.”

No less than 12 running backs have carried the football for TJ this season, thanks in large part to the dynamics of the Jaguars' explosive offense.

The list includes Vigna, Sean Bell, Max Shaw, Jackson Conway, Dylan Mallozzi, Nathan Werderber, Zach Wagner, DeRon VanBibber, Jimmy McCoy, Trevor Barrett, Jack Mich and Marco Gambino.

While Vigna, who ran for 449 yards and nine scores last year, has been a sparkplug in the offensive backfield, sophomore Shane Stump (6-1, 175) has made a spectacular debut this season as the Jaguars' starting quarterback.

“Justin and Shane have both been great so far,” Cherpak said. “They get better every game, and they are both becoming leaders on the field by their play. I am really excited to watch them progress throughout the season.”

Stump, who saw varsity playing time as a freshman last year, has thrown for 626 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, completing 30 of 54 tosses. He is averaging 156.5 yards per game and 20.9 yards per completion.

“Shane can whip the ball. He has a great arm,” Cherpak said. “He's probably the strongest arm we've ever had, and you've got to remember that he's only sophomore. He's a real good athlete; we want him to focus on quarterback.”

Two-time defending WPIAL champ Thomas Jefferson has waltzed past its first four conference opponents, soundly defeating Uniontown (55-7),Trinity (35-0), Greensburg Salem (48-0) and Albert Gallatin (69-0).

The Jaguars are averaging 51.8 points and have amassed 1,638 total offensive yards, an average of 410 yards per game. Led by Vigna, the Jaguars' rushing attack has generated 1,012 yards on the ground, an average of 253 yards per game.

TJ has limited its held opposition to less than 70 yards per game, and the Jaguars' first-string defensive unit has not allowed a single point this season.

Defensive catalysts consist of Bell, Mich, Shaw and James Martinis at linebacker; Garret Fairman, Dan Deabner, Jared Collington and Nick Urbanowicz in the secondary; with Devin Danielson, Noah Palmer, Logan Burnsworth, Logan Danielson, Mike Huber and Dom Serapiglia on the line.

Thomas Jefferson ranks second in the WPIAL in scoring average thanks to its high-octane offense, and first in points allowed at 1.8.

“We are a close-knit team; we've played together for years,” Vigna said. “We also got to witness and practice with some great players over the past few years. And we pride ourselves on working harder than everybody else.

“We need to take it week by week, get better every week, win our conference, take the next step to Heinz (Field), and win states.”

Next up for TJ (4-0, 4-0) is a conference game Friday at home against rival Ringgold (2-2, 2-2).

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

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