Jaguars not looking past Montour

By JOSE NEGRON

jnegron@yourmvi.com

There is only one way Thomas Jefferson plans on ending its tenure in the 2019 WPIAL playoffs: By hoisting the WPIAL Class 4A championship trophy at Heinz Field. 

But for now, top-seeded TJ has its sights set on a WPIAL quarterfinal matchup with No. 8 Montour tonight at Jaguars Stadium. 

Regardless of the Spartans’ seeding, TJ (10-0) knows better than to overlook any opponent. That’s a lesson Bill Cherpak’s team learned first-hand when it fell to South Fayette, 31-24, in last year’s WPIAL championship game. 

“We’ve been playing well and we finished the season strong, but they recognize that now we’re in the playoffs and it all changes. Everybody starts over and everybody is a quality team now,” said Cherpak, who has led the Jaguars to the WPIAL title game in each of the past four seasons. “We have to make plays. They understand now what happens when you don’t make plays, and that’s what we did last year in the finals. 

“That game made them understand they need to focus, prepare and not take anything for granted regardless of who you’re playing. That’s been our theme, paying attention to detail and all the little things.” 

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