8 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2021 • VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
CONTENDERS LINE UP TO
KNOCK TJ FROM THRONE
Thomas Jefferson reigned
again in Class 4A last season,
winning its 10th WPIAL championship
followed by its fifth
PIAA title.
It seems like every year the
same question is asked: Can the
Jaguars do it again?
Veteran coach Bill Cherpak
hopes so. But as with other seasons,
he sounds the bell of cautious
optimism that his team,
which lost several key pieces
to graduation, will be ready for
the new battles in and out of
conference play.
He knows teams such as fellow
2020 Big Eight Conference
tri-champs Belle Vernon and
McKeesport; last year’s other
conference champions, Aliquippa
and Plum; as well as Class 4A
playoff qualifiers Chartiers Valley,
Hampton and Mars, among
others, are hoping to knock
them off.
“I really don’t say much to
the guys. They know what they
have to do to be ready to defend
the titles. Not every year do we
have the same talent level, but
that doesn’t change what we do,”
said Cherpak, whose team survived
an instant classic against
Aliquippa — 35-28 in overtime
— to again hoist the WPIAL
championship trophy.
“The talent everywhere in 4A
is amazing. Just in our conference,
Belle Vernon is loaded.
We know the talent McKeesport
has. West Mifflin always has
great athletes. Trinity has a really
strong line coming back, and
they can’t be overlooked. Up and
down the list, it’s going to be a
great challenge.”
Thomas Jefferson doesn’t
have it easy before it enters
conference play as it will visit
Class 5A power Gateway on
Sept. 3 before hosting former
Class 4A rival South Fayette.
McKeesport snapped Thomas
Jefferson’s 21-game conference
winning streak with a 20-14 victory
in last year’s season finale,
which helped forge a three-way
tie for the Big Eight title.
The Tigers hoped to carry that
momentum for a playoff run, but
their season came to a sudden
halt with a 12-9 loss at Plum in
the quarterfinals.
With quarterback Caleb
Reist and running back Kayne
Thompson leading the charge,
coach Matt Miller said he likes
where his team stands heading
into its second year in Class 4A.
“I am really excited about the
team we have coming in with a
lot of experience back,” Miller
said. “You saw a lot of teams
really improve as last season
went on and were peaking at the
end of the season.
“Last year was really tough,
and a number of teams started
slow and took some time to hit
their stride. It should be a pretty
fun year in each conference.”
Belle Vernon, which fell to
Aliquippa in the playoff semifinals
last year, has senior do-itall
performer Devin Whitlock
and sophomore wide receiver,
running back and defensive
back Quinton Martin leading
the way. The Leopards hope to
again be in the mix.
“I think in each conference,
there are several teams who
can challenge for a conference
title,” coach Matt Humbert said.
“There are so many great coaches
and great athletes. While each
team has a lot of work still to do,
I am sure everyone is excited to
get into the games and see how
everything is going to play out.”
Aliquippa’s Mike Warfield
admits he still is a little miffed
over his team again having to
play up in Class 4A based on
the PIAA’s competitive balance
rule. But like last year, when his
team rolled through the Parkway
Conference and into the
battle with Thomas Jefferson
for the title, he said he knows
his players will prepare and
compete their hardest as goals
for WPIAL gold remain.
“Every year is different with
new players, but we just have
to focus on strengthening our
weaknesses,” Warfield said.
“The guys have been working
hard and are ready to do the
best they can. We haven’t been
worried too much yet on who we
have to play. That will come in
time. We just have to make sure
we are doing as much as we can
every day to better ourselves.”
Despite losing several key players
to graduation, Plum hopes
to defend its Greater Allegheny
Conference crown and build on
several all-time program records
established last year.
“The guys proved last year
that we belonged in the conversation
with the best in 4A,
beating McKeesport and giving
TJ everything they wanted (in
the semifinals),” coach Matt
Morgan said.
“That game against TJ
could’ve gone either way. We
had a big senior class, but we
also had several underclassmen
who were big contributors.
We’re going to be a team that everyone
is going to want to knock
off, but I also see us as a team
that can compete with anyone
in 4A and make another push.”
by MICHAEL LOVE
CLASS 4A
PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Thomas Jefferson (10-1)
The five-time PIAA and 10-time
WPIAL champion Jaguars hope
to reload for another title run.
They bounced back from a loss
to McKeesport in the 2020
regular-season finale, and their
35-28 overtime victory over
Aliquippa in the WPIAL final at
North Allegheny was an instant
classic. As in prior seasons, TJ
will have plenty of challengers,
including the Tigers in its own
conference, ready to knock it off
its throne.
2. Belle Vernon (6-2)
3. Aliquippa (9-1)
4. McKeesport (6-2)
5. Plum (8-1)
* RECORDS FROM 2020
THE STARS
NICK BRYAN
Thomas Jefferson, sr., OT/DT
Before he begins his career
at Kent State, the 6-foot-3,
275-pounder hopes for one more
championship season.
RODNEY GALLAGHER
Laurel Highlands, jr., QB/DB
The speedy 6-foot dual threat
and stingy defender owns nine
Division I offers, including Pitt,
Penn State, West Virginia, Notre
Dame and Michigan State.
LORENZO JENKINS
Blackhawk, sr., WR/S
The 6-3, 170-pound transfer led
Fox Chapel with 31 catches for
492 yards and seven touchdowns
in seven games last season.
CADIN OLSEN
Armstrong, jr., QB
The 6-5, 205-pound Olsen
garnered all-state honors last
year after completing 118 of 230
passes for 2,035 yards and 23
touchdowns over eight games.
DEVIN WHITLOCK
Belle Vernon, sr., QB/WR/DB
Whitlock averaged 203.6
all-purpose yards last season. He
rushed for 1,082 yards and 15
touchdowns and threw for 528
yards.
DON’T MISS
9.24 Thomas Jefferson at
Belle Vernon
The last three years, the Jaguars
own wins over the Leopards after
Belle Vernon toppled TJ in 2017.
10.22 Thomas Jefferson at
McKeesport
The Tigers snapped the Jaguars’
21-game conference win streak in
last year’s regular-season finale.
10.29 New Castle at Aliquippa
For the most part, the Quips
dominated Parkway Conference
play in their first year up in
Class 4A. They had to work for
their conference-opening win over
the Hurricanes, however, as they
rallied from a 15-point first-half
deficit to claim a 44-28 win.
Belle Vernon, Aliquippa,
McKeesport among
top contenders in class
Thomas
Jefferson’s
McClain Flinn
(right) and
Ian Hansen
helped the
Jaguars to
an overtime
WPIAL
Class 4A
championship
win last
season.