Sophomore Tyler Eber helps Thomas Jefferson cliche their 11th WPIAL title with a 28-7 win over McKeesport

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Mia Williams | November 16, 2024

The undefeated Thomas Jefferson Jaguars beat the McKeesport Tigers 28-7 with dominating performances by sophomore superstar Tyler Eber who had 158 rushing yards for two touchdowns and quarterback Luke Kosko who passed for 93 yards. Another big part of the offense side of the ball for the Jaguars included Brayden White who had a 85 yard pick six.

The game started off with a kickoff from Thomas Jefferson junior Samuel Wessel which was caught by McKeesport sophomore Abrahman Miller who was able to get it to the 39-yard line. The Tigers attempted to move down the field with a handoff from senior quarterback Brady Eastman to sophomore superstar running back, Kemon Spell, who already has garnered multiple D1 offers including Pitt, Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin. A strong Jaguar defense forced McKeesport to use one of their timeouts with 9:53 left in the first quarter. The Tigers attempted to run it at 4th and 2 but were unable to get the yards necessary for the first down and Thomas Jefferson got the ball on downs.

Thomas Jefferson and McKeesport captains shake hands before the game

Now on offense the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars were able to use the combination of senior quarterback, Luke Kosko, and sophomore running back, Tyler Eber, to get within scoring position, helped along with a flag on McKeesport for a Jaguar 5-yard gain. A good block of a would-be touchdown pass by Tiger, Anthony Cromeride, forced Thomas Jefferson’s Wessel to attempt a 30-yard field goal. The kick hit the post and it allowed McKeesport the ball back on the 20-yard line.

The Tigers attempted to gain some yards but a strong set of Thomas Jefferson defensive plays, including a tackle by junior Zachery Villa forced McKeesport to use yet another of their 3 timeouts with 3:44 left in the first. On 4th and 4 the Tigers punted the ball away and put the undefeated Jaguars back on offense.

Thomas Jefferson attempted to put some points on the board with a handoff to Eber but an incomplete pass along with a false start call forced the Jaguars to give the ball right back with no gain. McKeesport rallied towards the end of the first quarter with a running first down by Spell but in the process they used up their final timeout.

McKeesport QB gets set for snap

Heading into the second quarter with no scores for either team it seemed as though it could be anyone’s game. But a fumble by McKeesport, allowing Thomas Jefferson the ball on the 29-yard line seemed to shift the tide. The Jaguars would use this fumble to secure a first down by Eber and a first down catch by senior tight end, Kooper Kamberis, to put them on the 30-yard line. They were then able to advance to the 18-yard line with small runs by Eber where Thomas Jefferson then used up their timeout of the game. A then long run by Eber, that ended in a jump over multiple Tigers put the Jaguars just a mere 3 yards short of the endzone. The very next play Eber continued his march through the McKeesport’s defense with a 3-yard rushing touchdown with a handoff from Kosko. Wessel then made the extra point putting the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars up 7-0 with 4:21 remaining in the first half.

McKeesport attempted to rally back with a solid pass to wide receiver, Javien Robinson, and a 15-yard pass interference call on Thomas Jefferson put three incomplete passes in a row forcing the Tigers to give the ball right back on the 37-yard line.

The Jaguars quickly took back control of the game with a 53-yard reception by senior wide receiver Brayden White, with a throw from Kosko for a touchdown. Wessel then made the extra point and the then 10-time WPIAL title holders, Thomas Jefferson, were now up 14-0 with 1:16 left in the second quarter.

McKeesport’s Anthony Boyd runs the ball

The McKeesport Tigers were still within reach with two first downs in a row with catches by Cromeride and senior Anthony Boyd but the using of all their timeouts in the first quarter came back to hurt them as they were desperately trying to get snaps off with 0:29 seconds left. This rushing off of snaps caused a throw that was meant for Cromeride to be intercepted by Thomas Jefferson’s White who took it 85-yards for a pick six. Wessel made the extra point and the first half ended with a score of 21-0 for the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars.

Heading into the second half of the game the Jaguars seemed to have the energy on their side but McKeesport’s defense also came out of the locker room strong, stopping Thomas Jefferson just 1-yard short of a first down and turning the ball over to the Tigers on the 50-yard line. But the Jaguars defense also came out strong with good tackles by White and Villa forcing McKeesport to go for it on 4th and 5. Yet another incomplete pass by the Tigers forced the ball over on downs allowing Eber to once again take control of the game with a 20-yard run but a holding call on his team forced them back 5 yards. Now on the 24-yard line at 3rd and 9 Thomas Jefferson called a timeout and it felt like if McKeesport wanted any chance of staying in this game they needed to stop the Jaguars here and a good stop they got by junior Matthew Miller, forcing Thomas Jefferson to go for it at 4th and 7. Thomas Jefferson was unable to secure the seven yards needed for a first down and McKeesport got the ball back on the 20 yard line.

McKeesport quickly punted the ball back to the Jaguars after a flag and a good Thomas Jefferson defense. But the Tigers got the ball right back after a delay of game on Thomas Jefferson. The rest of the third quarter was filled with penalties for both teams along with good defense forcing turnovers. The teams headed into the final quarter of play with no score change.

Thomas Jefferson’s Kooper Kamberis holds off a McKeesport player

The Jaguars asserted their dominance just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter with an interception by senior Nathan Fairson, putting Thomas Jefferson on offense on the 15-yard line. The Tigers defense put up a good fight with tackles by M. Miller and A. Miller but it was not enough to stop star sophomore Eber from rushing 1 yard for his second touchdown of the game. Wessel then made the extra point to lengthen the Jaguars’ lead to 28-0 with 9:04 left in the final quarter.

The McKeesport Tigers then put together their best drive of the game securing multiple first down catches including one by wide receiver Caulan Smith. This, along with a 15-yard personal foul call on Thomas Jefferson allowed Boyd to run in an 8-yard touchdown. Kicker Ian Shiffler then secured the extra point to finally put McKeesport on the board with 5:08 left in the fourth quarter.

Thomas Jefferson huddles post game

The final 5 minutes of play was filled with a back and forth for both teams including penalties for both as well as incomplete passes. With the ball on the Norwin Knights logo the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars took a knee and let the clock run.

Thomas Jefferson secured their 11th WPIAL title with a 28-7 win over McKeesport. This is their first title since 2020 and they will now be continuing their season as they search for their sixth state title. McKeesport ended their season with a 8-5 record. Thomas Jefferson first round state opponent has yet to be announced.

Game Highlights:

All photos by Deacon Blue

Post-game interview with Thomas Jefferson’s @brayden2white after TJ cliched their 10th WPIAL title with a 28-7 win over McKeesport@TJHSJaguars @PaFootballNews @AJWPIAL @AnnabelleA_PT @PFN_Luxy @KAR120C6 @Sykotyk @CCHastings1863 pic.twitter.com/Q6g8ggc6wT

— Mia Williams (@Mia_WilliamsPT) November 16, 2024