50 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
BIG 8 • THOMAS JEFFERSON
Coach: Bill Cherpak
2019 record: 16-0, 7-0 in
Class 4A Big Eight Conference
All-time record: 471-202-7
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 at West Mifflin* 7:30
9.18 at Trinity* 7
9.25 Belle Vernon* 7:30
10.2 at Uniontown 7
10.9 Laurel Highlands* 7:30
10.16 at Ringgold* 7
10.23 McKeesport* 7:30
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Shane Stump*
123-209, 2,478 yards, 33 TDs
Receiving Dan Deabner*
49-1,103 yards, 20 TDs
Rushing Dylan Mallozzi*
219-1,921 yards, 28 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• DeRon VanBibber had
collected 290 rushing yards
and eight touchdowns over six
games before his knee injury
ended his season.
• Thomas Jefferson’s WPIAL
title in 2019 was its ninth in
team history. The Jaguars
won their first crown in 1980
before returning to the top in
2004.
• With the win in the state title
game, Bill Cherpak owns a
273-46 career record. He now
is fifth on the all-time WPIAL
victory list.
• The Jaguars are 63-22 alltime
in WPIAL playoff games
and 59-16 under Cherpak.
JAKE KRAWCZYK
DeRON VanBIBBER
THOMAS JEFFERSON
READY TO DEFEND TITLE
Thomas Jefferson returned to
the top of the WPIAL mountain
last season, and the Jaguars hope
to stay there this fall.
The Jaguars were upset by South
Fayette in the 2018 Class 4A final
to end an attempt at a fourth consecutive
WPIAL crown. But they
rolled through the competition
last year en route to an eighth title
since 2004.
To add icing to an already tasty
cake, Thomas Jefferson capped
the 2019 season by crushing Dallas,
46-7, in Hershey to claim its
fourth PIAA championship and
first since winning back-to-back
titles in 2007-08.
While the Jaguars lost some key
pieces from last year’s championship
run, the cupboard is far
from bare, and veteran coach Bill
Cherpak likes the way the different
experience levels are meshing in
advance of the season.
“We always instill in the kids
the goal of being a program that
endures with longevity and not be
a team that is good here and there,”
said Cherpak, who saw his team
compile a 16-0 record.
“We lost a lot of great players
from last year’s team, including
seven or eight who were two- or
three-year starters. That is a lot
of experience, but we have some
young kids who have been doing
really well and will hold their own.
I don’t think we will be where we
were last year. Those teams don’t
come along that often.”
With only a few starters back
on offense and defense, Cherpak
said there has been competition at
pretty much every position.
“They have been working hard,”
he said. “It’s been such a different
vibe. As a coach and a coaching
staff, you kind of have the same
routine every summer to get an idea
of where your kids are. This whole
pandemic has slowed us down at
times, but it’s been the same for
everyone. The kids have worked
pretty hard and are resilient.”
The WPIAL, in response to the
PIAA’s season-change options that
delayed the start of the season,
adopted a model for football that
involves both game movement
and elimination from the original
schedules.
The Jaguars will scrimmage
Gateway on Sept. 4, and a conference
game at West Mifflin has
been moved to Sept. 11, replacing
a nonconference game against former
Class 4A rival South Fayette.
“We’ve kind of just channeled
that stuff out, the whole entire
team, and have just focused on getting
ready for the season,” senior
center Nick Trainor said. “We just
want to play football, especially the
seniors. We’ve gotten in some good
work as a team.”
Senior Jake Pugh, the backup
last year to the graduated Shane
Stump, is the favorite to take the
quarterback reins.
“He’s waited his turn, and we
feel he’s ready,” Cherpak said.
Senior running back/defensive
back DeRon VanBibber is hoping
for a positive comeback after missing
the second half of last season
with a knee injury.
“(The knee) is feeling good. I’m
just ready to get back out there,”
VanBibber said. “Last year really
opened up my eyes to appreciate
the brotherhood of football. Shane
Stump and all the other guys made
me feel like I was still a big part of
the team even though I was hurt
and couldn’t play. In the offseason,
my goal was to get bigger, faster
and stronger so I can come back
and contribute in a big way.”
Seniors Ian Hansen and Preston
Zandier, who combined for 1,147 receiving
yards and 12 touchdowns,
return as top targets in the passing
game.
Up front, Trainer (center) and
senior Jake Krawczyk (left guard)
anchor a sizable offensive line.
Cherpak said there are several
battling for the other spots, as well
as time at defensive tackle.
Senior defensive end Jack Konick
recorded 28 tackles and four
sacks last year.
Junior inside linebacker Isaac
Eckley, also a fullback on offense,
led all returnees with 47 tackles.
Hansen, who helped front the
defense last year with seven interceptions,
is expected to again
be a playmaker with the likes of
Zandier (outside linebacker) and
VanBibber (defensive back).
Cherpak said this year’s freshman
group is one of the best he’s
had in a while and a couple of them
could challenge for playing time.
“They are hard workers, I’ll tell
you that,” Trainor said.
Thomas Jefferson hopes to build
on a 16-game winning streak in
conference play. The last loss came
at the hands of Belle Vernon in
Week 7 of 2017.
The Jaguars and Leopards meet
Sept. 15 in a rematch of last year’s
WPIAL title game.
“With our schedule, it will be a
challenge every Friday,” Cherpak
said.
by MICHAEL LOVE