Trip to Hershey up for grabs as TJ meets L-S

By Jeremy Sellew and Jose Negron
jsellew@yourmvi.com,
jnegron@yourmvi.com
One step remains for Thomas Jefferson to return to Hersheypark Stadium to play for a PIAA championship.
The Jaguars will meet the Lampeter-Strasburg Pioneers in a rare afternoon game at Hollidaysburg’s Tigers Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
TJ head coach Bill Cherpak said his team’s focus has been on point despite a different schedule with the holiday week and early kickoff.
“Before they changed the makeup of the brackets a few years ago, we were used to practicing on Thanksgiving,” Cherpak said. “The afternoon kickoff, it’s going to change our schedule a little bit, but I’m not worried at all. This group is ready to go. It’s not really a big deal.”
The Jaguars (14-0) won’t overlook the Pioneers (8-3), who were seeded eighth in the District 3 playoffs.
“We don’t know much about them, only what we’ve seen on film. They beat two pretty good teams in Bishop McDevitt and Berks Catholic to get here,” Cherpak said. “But I’m not worried about overlooking them. We’re so focused on what we’re doing. The kids are just like ‘What’s next, who’s next?’”
The Pioneers’ head coach John Manion is a familiar name around the Mon Valley. Manion is a 1988 Charleroi graduate.
And he’s well aware of the tradition the Jaguars bring into the game.
“You see the rankings all along and then once we got into the playoffs and you exchange film, I got the chance to see their last three games,” Manion said. “Following scores, I know how good Central Valley is, so to hold a team like that to three points (in a 28-3 regular season win) is impressive.”

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