By JOSE NEGRON
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Thomas Jefferson claimed its second consecutive state title and fifth in program history with a dramatic 21-14 victory over Jersey Shore in the PIAA Class 4A championship game Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium.
With the win, the Jaguars (10-1) now own the most state championships of any WPIAL team and become the sixth WPIAL team in history to win back-to-back PIAA titles. The program did it once before when it won state gold in 2007 and 2008.
“I can’t remember all five, but they’re all special,” Thomas Jefferson head coach Bill Cherpak said. “With the kids involved and the excitement that they have, that’s what it’s all about.”
While Jersey Shore (10-1) was unable to get much going offensively throughout the game, the Bulldogs made things interesting in the final minute.
Trailing 21-7 with 34 seconds on the clock, Branden Wheary capped off a nine-play, 80-yard drive with a short 1-yard touchdown pass to Owen Anderson, making it a one-possession game.
Seconds after Cam Allison’s PAT, the Bulldogs lined up for an onside kick and recovered it at the TJ 48-yard line. After a completion of 27 yards from Wheary to Cayden Hess, the Jersey Shore quarterback threw three consecutive incompletions, leaving the Bulldogs with a 4th-and-10 situation at TJ’s 21 with four seconds on the clock.
Wheary dropped back to pass and was hit as he threw. His desperation pass fell incomplete and allowed the Jaguars to escape with yet another state title.
“This means everything. This is something I will never forget for the rest of my life,” senior quarterback Jake Pugh said. “We played so well together and I’m just so happy we got this done. I wouldn’t trade this season for anything in the world.”
TJ’s defensive unit was disruptive all night long, forcing a pair of turnovers and sacking Wheary seven times. The Bulldogs were limited to 97 total yards, including minus-66 yards on the ground. Allison, who entered the game with over 1,000 yards rushing, was held to just eight yards on six carries.
“Coach (Jack) Giran really got the defense ready and we knew we wanted to play in attack mode the whole game,” Cherpak said. “We felt like their quarterback wasn’t much of a threat to run and I think being in his face really changed the game.”
Conner Murga was a leading force for Thomas Jefferson’s offense in the win, rushing for 114 yards and a 3-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He also redeemed himself in a big way in the fourth.
With TJ threatening to score at Jersey Shore’s 3-yard line, Murga was limited to a 1-yard gain and fumbled to give the Bulldogs the ball down by a score. The turnover came on the 19th play of an 82-yard drive for the Jaguars.
Jersey Shore was able to get up to its own 11-yard line before facing a 4th-and-1. Wheary fumbled the snap on the crucial play and Murga recovered, leading to a 4-yard touchdown run by DeRon VanBibber, which pushed TJ’s lead to 21-7 with 5:48 remaining in the game.
“We didn’t want to give them any momentum because there was still some time on the clock there with us just up seven,” Cherpak said. “We got the ball back, put it in and set them back a little bit.”
TJ led by seven after one quarter and took a 14-0 advantage into halftime thanks to a 28-yard touchdown pass from Pugh to Preston Zandier in the second quarter.
Pugh completed 13 of 29 passes for 179 yards. His lone mistake of the game came in the third quarter as he had a pass picked off by Jersey Shore’s Dalton Dugan, who returned it 51 yards for a touchdown that made it 14-7.
Zandier, a Youngstown State recruit, matched teammate Ian Hansen with six catches for 84 yards. He also had a big performance on defense, finishing with six tackles, including four for loss, and a sack. VanBibber and Isaac Eckley each had seven tackles, while Jordan Mayer and Nick Bryan collected multiple sacks apiece.
“Right now, my life is complete and I really don’t have anything else to accomplish,” Zandier said with a laugh. “Defense wins championships and tradition wins football games. That’s what this was all about.”
“Being able to continue the legacy (of TJ football) is something I set as a goal,” said Pugh, who sat behind former quarterback Shane Stump for three years before getting his opportunity to start under center.
“I’m so happy we were able to achieve it.”