HERSHEY, Pa. — Calling the 2019 Thomas Jefferson Jaguars one of the best teams in the program’s storied history wouldn’t be wrong, but it also wouldn’t be doing the Jaguars justice.
Make no mistake about it — Thomas Jefferson just put together one of the best seasons by any team in WPIAL history. The Jaguars (16-0) finished it with a lopsided 46-7 victory against District 2 champion Dallas (15-1) in the PIAA Class 4A championship Thursday night at Hersheypark Stadium.
Thomas Jefferson went into the game with the top-ranked scoring defense in the state as well as one of Pennsylvania’s most explosive offenses. Still, many believed the undefeated Mountaineers were a worthy foe, and one that might give Thomas Jefferson its toughest test of the season — Jaguars coach Bill Cherpak included.
Instead, this one was over by halftime.
“Hats off to Thomas Jefferson. What a football team. They are really something,” Dallas coach Rich Mannello said. “Across the board, their strength — and we thought that when we saw them on film, and we saw it here tonight, so hats off. Well-deserved. They beat us good.”
Thomas Jefferson took a 20-point lead into the break and kept pouring it on in the second half. The Mountaineers didn’t cross midfield until less than 10 minutes remained in the game, and they scored their only touchdown with 4:21 left. The Jaguars now are 4-0 in state title games, having captured the 2004, 2007 and 2008 PIAA championships in Class 3A.
“Our guys just wanted to be physical. We knew it was going to be that type of game because of how they played,” Cherpak said. “We threw a challenge at them, and they definitely responded.”
Senior quarterback Shane Stump put the finishing touches on a remarkable career that already included two WPIAL championships by completing 7 of 8 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown while adding 11 carries for 51 yards and four additional scores.
“We really do have a brotherhood here,” Stump said. “I know a lot of people say it, but we’ve been playing together since we were 12 years old. Every single person on this team cares about each other, and that’s why we play like we play.”
Stump and senior wide receiver Dan Deabner received most of the headlines the past two seasons, but they weren’t the only ones who stepped up when it mattered most. Senior running back Dylan Mallozzi rushed 24 times for 215 yards and a touchdown, while junior Ian Hansen caught four passes for 50 yards and also notched two interceptions, returning one for a 39-yard score.
Despite the frigid conditions at kickoff, it didn’t take long for Thomas Jefferson to heat up. The Jaguars marched down the field with ease on their opening drive, only for Mallozzi to lose a fumble just inside the Dallas 20.
But Thomas Jefferson’s defense forced a punt, and Mallozzi spent the rest of the game rewarding the defense for getting him off the hook, breaking off several highlight-reel runs while punishing would-be tacklers.
“I knew the defense was going to bail me out. They’re the greatest defense in the state,” Mallozzi said.
Stump opened the scoring by rolling to his right, shaking off a tackle and finding Deabner for a wide-open 29-yard touchdown pass. It was the 43rd scoring connection between the two stars over the course of their stellar careers.
A 14-yard touchdown run by Stump gave the Jaguars a 13-0 lead, then Mallozzi scored from 2 yards, giving Thomas Jefferson a comfortable 20-point advantage at the break. On the Mountaineers’ first possession of the second half, Hansen intercepted his second pass of the game, and this time he returned it 39 yards to the house to make it 26-0.
“It doesn’t feel real being here at Hershey, winning the state championship,” Hansen said. “We just put it all together and gave it our all.”
Stump then added three more touchdown runs, putting the game out of reach as Thomas Jefferson capped off one of the most dominant seasons by a WPIAL team in recent memory.
“Tonight, it’s going to be emotional,” Cherpak said. “There was so much focus on this and so much drive toward this, and then you do it, and you’re like, ‘All right, now what? But it was just amazing.”
Sports@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1621.
First Published: December 6, 2019, 2:30 a.m.
