WPIAL Class 4A championship preview: McKeesport vs. Thomas Jefferson

One is a thoroughbred, a four-star recruit with outstanding speed who has already committed to one of the nation’s top college programs.

The other is a workhorse, a powerful runner with excellent vision who has put his offense on his back at times this season.

Kemon Spell and Tyler Eber are two of the WPIAL’s best running backs, a terrific feat considering both are only sophomores. And on Saturday, the two will go head to head as they try to lead their respective teams to a WPIAL title.

In a rematch of one of the top games of the regular season, No. 1 Thomas Jefferson (12-0) will take on No. 3 McKeesport (8-4) for the WPIAL Class 4A championship at noon at Norwin High School. Back on Sept. 6, Thomas Jefferson rallied from a 21-point halftime deficit to claim a 31-28 overtime win against McKeesport in a non-conference game.

Thomas Jefferson hopes to become only the fourth team with 11 WPIAL titles by winning its first crown since capturing back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020, while McKeesport is seeking its fifth title overall and its first since 2005. The Tigers fell to Aliquippa, 35-21, in last year’s final.

In what is a fantastic matchup of talented running backs, the play of Spell and Eber figures to have a giant say in how this game plays out.

Spell (5 feet 9, 185 pounds), who verbally committed to Penn State in August, has dazzled this fall, this after showing many glimpses of his enormous potential a season ago. Spell has been a big-play machine, rushing for 1,617 yards on 142 carries to go along with 24 touchdowns. He’s averaging an absurd 11.4 yards per carry.

“He’s the full package,” Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said of Spell, who is rated by On3 as being the No. 1 sophomore running back in the country. “He’s got great size and great speed. He can run inside and outside. He’s amazing.”

Eber (5-10, 170) has seen just a little bit of an uptick in usage this season. After having 12 carries all of last season, Eber has toted the rock 312 times this season, by far the most of any WPIAL player. He has turned those carries into 1,785 yards and 27 touchdowns.

“He really follows his blocks well and has great vision,” McKeesport coach Matt Miller said. “He finds holes and he always falls forward, so instead of it being a 1-yard gain, he makes it 3 or 4 yards.”

Spell has been especially good as of late, rushing for 555 yards and five touchdowns in McKeesport’s two playoff wins. He gashed two-time defending WPIAL and PIAA champion Belle Vernon for 274 yards and two touchdowns in the quarterfinals before ripping Mars for 281 yards and three touchdowns in the semifinals.

“He just seems to be getting better and better,” Miller said. “He’s been outstanding. He really feels comfortable back there. He’s unique in that he has power and speed. He’s able to run between the tackles well, but he can also outrun people to the outside.”

So what can Thomas Jefferson do in hopes of slowing down Spell, who ran for two touchdowns in the first meeting?

“We need to try to get on him before he gets into space,” said Cherpak, whose team beat Aliquippa in the semifinals, ending the Quips’ 16-year run of consecutive championship appearances. “If you allow him to get out on the edge, you’ve got very little chance to stop him. You’ve got to try to tackle him low and try to get your helmet on his legs.”

Sure, Spell has been hot, but Eber has been on a tear, as well. Eber has collected 443 yards and five touchdowns in two playoff wins, all of that on a whopping 90 carries. He ran for 232 yards and two touchdowns on 48 carries against West Allegheny and then went for 211 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries against Aliquippa. Eber has carried the ball at least 38 times in five games this season.

“I think the big thing for Tyler is that he continually wants to get better,” Cherpak said. “As a sophomore, your game experience is what’s lacking, but he’s gotten so much better since the beginning of the year and he continues to grow every game.”

Eber touched up McKeesport for 186 yards and three touchdowns the first go-around, so keeping him from going off again will be one of the Tigers’ top priorities Saturday. 

“That’s why I coach offense,” Miller said with a laugh. “You’ve got to make sure you know where he’s at. We’ve got to maybe put an extra guy in the box. They’ve had a lot of success running the ball, and that seems to be their M.O. right now.”

The first meeting was a thriller. Thomas Jefferson rallied back from a 28-7 halftime deficit to pull even on Eber’s touchdown run with 2:51 left. McKeesport’s Ian Shiffler kicked a 24-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 31-28 lead in overtime, but Thomas Jefferson’s Luke Kosko scored on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to give the Jaguars the dramatic 34-31 win.

“It was one of the best comebacks we’ve had,” said Cherpak, who is in his 30th season. A win Saturday would give Cherpak his 10th WPIAL title, more than any other coach. He’s currently tied atop the list with nine along with Bob Palko.

The loss was a tough one for McKeesport, which fell to 0-3. But the Tigers turned frustration into motivation, and their only loss since was to unbeaten Upper St. Clair, which will play in Friday’s WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. The Tigers won the Greater Allegheny Conference title after not dropping a conference game.

“We’re a lot better than we were early on,” Miller said, who is in his ninth season. “We’ve just matured a lot and have made some changes offensively and defensively. That game was a tale of two halves. Kudos to my seniors. They held that locker room together. They believed that we were going to be good in the near future.”

Eber may be Thomas Jefferson’s headliner, but he’s not the Jaguars’ only playmaker. Kosko has a big arm and has put together a strong senior season, completing 93-of-152 passes for 1,686 yards, 20 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He also has a fantastic receiver in senior Brayden White, who has pulled in 56 receptions for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns. But with Eber being so heavily involved, Kosko, a Cincinnati baseball recruit, has thrown only 21 passes in two playoff games. Three of them have gone for touchdowns, including two to White.

“They’re big and physical,” Miller said. “They run a unique offense in today’s world. It’s like from the ’80s or ’90s. Everybody is designed to stop the spread, and they line up in the I-formation and run it down your throat. And they’ve got a good QB who can make some good throws.”

McKeesport operates an old-school offense, as well. The Tigers have been running the flexbone for more than three decades. It often leads to multiple players producing big rushing numbers, and that’s certainly the case this season. In addition to Spell, the Tigers feature senior Anthony Cromerdie (599 yards, 14 touchdowns) and senior Anthony Boyd (530 yards, 4 touchdowns). Senior quarterback Brady Eastman is 42 of 105 for 756 yards, 5 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

“I think we’re both much better than we were the first time,” Cherpak said. “Obviously, Spell and Boyd make them go. We just can’t give up big plays. It’s going to be a tough fight.”