NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. — Call it the Brayden White game. The Thomas Jefferson senior put his mark on the 2024 WPIAL Class-4A Championship Game on Saturday, scoring two first-half touchdowns as Jaguars stormed out to an early lead and rolled, beating McKeesport 28-7 to win the program’s 11th WPIAL title at Norwin High School on Saturday.
White broke open a back-and-forth first half of the game almost by himself. After TJ took an early 7-0 lead on a Tyler Eber plunge, the Jaguars defense got a stop and set the Jaguars offense up with good field position.
Quarterback Luke Kosko found White streaking across the field at about the McKeesport 30-yard line. White made a move, juking Tigers star Kemon Spell, and taking it to the house for a 53-yard score late in the second quarter to make it 14-0 TJ.
On the ensuing possession, McKeesport was driving as the final seconds of the half ticked down. Tigers quarterback Brady Eastman tried a last-second heave, but it was well off the mark and White came down with it, returning the interception 85 yards for a touchdown as time ran out in the first half.
In the second half, it was again a tightly contested, back-and-forth affair before Eber scored on another 1-yard dive to make it 28-0 Jaguars. The sophomore running back finished with 158 yards on 33 carries and the two scores. Kosko wasn’t called on often, with the 53-yarder to White providing most of his total yardage. He finished 6-of-9 for 93 yards and the one touchdown.
The Tigers threatened multiple times, but both turnovers came in Thomas Jefferson territory, thwarting McKeesport scoring drives. Spell, a sophomore committed to Penn State, provided most of the offense for McKeesport, rushing 15 times for 64 yards.
The Tigers finally broke through for a touchdown with five minutes to play, when Eastman pitched to senior running back Anthony Boyd for a short score.
The title moves TJ into a tie with New Castle for the third-most titles in WPIAL history with 11. Ten of those eleven were won by head coach Bill Cherpak, who is in his 30th season heading the Jaguars. He became the first coach with 10 WPIAL titles. TJ previously won in 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004 and 1980.
The Jaguars will advance into the PIAA Class-4A playoffs, where they will face Clearfield next week in the state semifinals.
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What a program…plug and play as a team…