The first of six WPIAL football championship games will be the Class-4A championship game that features Thomas Jefferson (12-0) and McKeesport (8-4). This will be a rematch from the regular season as the Jaguars beat the Tigers in an overtime thriller, 34-31, on Sept. 6, 2024.
Each team will bring a similar game plan as one another into the championship bout as they are both are led by sophomore running backs that are the workhorses for their respective team.
For McKeesport, their offensive attack is led by Penn State recruit Kemon Spell. He rushed for 1,617 yards this season including 200-yard games in each of the Tigers first two postseason games. Spell ran for 274 yards against Belle Vernon and 280 yards against Mars.
On the opposing side, Tyler Eber leads the Jaguars offense. Eber has accumulated 1,785 rushing yards during his breakout campaign and like Spell, he has ran all over Thomas Jefferson’s first two playoff opponents. Two weeks ago against West Allegheny, Eber rushed for 238 yards and then last week against Aliquippa, he ran for 211 yards.
While many people found out about Spell last year, Eber did not burst onto the scene until this season.
While the two teams relied on their sophomore running backs to get to this point, each team is in the championship game because they are complete teams with more than just a single playmaker.
The undefeated Jaguars rushing attack is spearheaded by one of the top offensive lineman in the WPIAL in Shep Turk. The Pitt recruit has a massive frame as he stands at 6-foot-5, 285-pounds. On top of that, the Jaguars have the ability to throw the ball with quarterback Luke Kosko who has completed 62% of his passes this season for 1,686 yards.
On the other hand, the Tigers are one of the few teams in the WPIAL that runs the triple-option offense. The unique offensive scheme makes defending their rushing attack a nightmare for opposing defenses. While Spell undoubtedly gets the spotlight with his 1,600 yards, the Tigers have a pair of 500-yard rushers behind him in Anthony Cromerdie and Anthony Boyd.
Aside from their rushing attacks, each team will come into the game mentally prepared as they are acclimated to being involved in championship affairs. Thomas Jefferson is coached by Bill Cherpak, who is in his 30th season as a head coach. Cherpak is just one win away from a record-breaking 10th WPIAL title as he is tied with legendary coach Bob Palko with nine.
Matt Miller, the head coach of the Tigers, has McKeesport playing in their second consecutive championship game and third overall since he became the head coach in 2016. The Tigers fell to Aliquippa, 38-37, in last year’s championship.
With that being said, the rematch will be decided in the trenches as both teams are prepared to stick their feet in the dirt, or in this instance turf, and run the ball for 48 minutes when they meet at Norwin High School on Saturday for the 12:05 kickoff.
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