TJ tops Rams, moves closer to Big Eight title

By ADAM BREWER

MVI Sports

Two teams on opposite ends of the Big Eight Conference met Friday night at Joe Montana Stadium.

Thomas Jefferson was the veteran squad with a lot of size up front and a lot of expectations.

Ringgold was the much younger team and was undermanned on the night due to various reasons.

The Jaguars took care of business from the get-go, collecting a 41-0 win over Ringgold to remain undefeated and atop the conference standings with one week left in the regular season.

“This season has been different, and at the end of the week you are just happy to have a game and to get through it,” TJ coach Bill Cherpak said. “There’s a lot of unknowns this season and as a coach you like to be in control of everything. You just have to roll with the punches and try to get better every game.”

Coming into the game, the Jaguars (5-0, 5-0) had taken 11 of the last 12 games against its Mon Valley rival and had won the last four meetings against Ringgold by a combined score of 221-27.

The Rams (1-5, 0-5) quickly fell behind in the opening quarter.

“We knew it would be a tough challenge tonight,” Ringgold coach Darwin Manges said. “We are young all over the field, so we just want our kids to work hard and to improve every week. It starts in the film room and then you hope the kids can get a good practice in during the week. It’s frustrating when you have to face McKeesport, Belle Vernon and Thomas Jefferson in a row.”

To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Saturay’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.