WPIAL Class 4A final notebook: TJ’s Cherpak joins top 10 coaches list

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 18, 2017 | 11:12 PM

Saturday's WPIAL Class 4A championship win over Montour was the 249th in Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak's illustrious career.

He is now 10th on the WPIAL's coaching victories list, tying Don Yannessa, who coached at Aliquippa, Baldwin and Ambridge.

This is Cherpak's 23rd year at the helm.

It's also the seventh WPIAL title for the Jaguars under Cherpak, all coming in the last 14 seasons. It's the eighth overall for the school, including the first one in 1980, the initial year of the four-classification format.

TJ ties Jeannette, Rochester and West Allegheny with eight titles won. The Jayhawks will try for No. 9 Saturday against Imani Christian.

It's also the second time Thomas Jefferson has won three titles in a row, also doing it from 2006-08.

After the trophy ceremony, some of the Jaguars celebrated by sliding on their bellies near the north end zone.

Good thing the Steelers are planning to replace the turf in the next couple of days. Workmen were grinding up the turf after the stadium had emptied.

Defense the key

Thomas Jefferson's stingy defense carried the day.

Not only was it the Jaguars' eighth shutout of the season, TJ held Montour to just 18 net rushing yards and five first downs.

Senior tackle Logan Burnsworth had seven tackles, three for losses, and the team had 10 tackles for losses overall.

Stuck at three

Montour was trying to follow Pine-Richland in winning WPIAL football titles in four different classifications.

The Spartans had won in what is now known as A, AA and AAA.

It was the fourth time in the last 11 seasons Montour had played in the finals at Heinz Field.

Braving the elements

Attendance for Saturday's quadruple-header was about 11,500, according to WPIAL executive director Tim O'Malley.

It was one of the lowest crowd totals in the era where four title games were played at a large venue such as Three Rivers Stadium or Heinz Field starting in 1986.

The cold, rainy weather throughout the day was a major factor in the low attendance.

Up next

Thomas Jefferson will enter the PIAA playoffs against Erie Cathedral Prep at 7 p.m. Friday at Erie Veterans Stadium.

It's a rematch of last year's PIAA quarterfinal at Baldwin where the Ramblers defeated the Jaguars, 30-13.

George Guido is a freelance writer.

Tags: Montour, Thomas Jefferson