PSR Game of the Week: TJ throttles McGuffey

 In just one play, the Jaguars proceeded their illustrious reputations.

A 41-yard Ryan Crouse pass over the middle to receiver Mike Terpin on their very first offensive play of the game showed Thomas Jefferson (2-1) meant business, and their dominant reign continued through the games' entirety, knocking off McGuffey (1-2) 49-3.

Crouse went 9-of-12 for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

“It was a great effort on our part.  We came out, executed our gameplan and just finished,” said Crouse, who started the entire game under center—a first for TJ, who had been using two quarterbacks through the first two games. 

The Jaguars offense piled up over 400 yards total, while keeping McGuffey to just 187 yards total.

“It was a good game for us,” said Thomas Jefferson head coach Bill Cherpak.  “I felt like we got things done early, and kept going hard all the way through.”

TJ's ferocious defense held the Highlanders to just 8 yards on 12 plays in their first four drives of the game. 

A 14-yard Derrick Whipkey quarterback-keeper with 7:34 left in the second quarter was the first first down recorded by McGuffey.

“The defense came strong tonight,” Cherpak said.  “We disrupted the flow in the backfield, and we kept them from finding any momentum.”

As impressive as the Jaguars were defensively, it wasn't like they needed any help on the offensive end.

On their second drive of the game, the momentum kept flowing, as a 6-play, 50-yard drive was capped off by a 12-yard touchdown run by Dylan Breisenger.

TJ followed up their second score of the game with a 3-yard T.J. Matrascia run early in the second quarter, bringing the Jaguar lead to 21-0.

Matrascia finished with 14 carries and 89 yards and two touchdowns.

Even a penalty couldn't distract TJ, as a touchdown pass on 3rd and 5 was erased by an illegal formation call, but was resurrected on the very next play by a Crouse pass to Thomas Grieves for 10-yards giving, TJ a dominating 28-0 lead with little time remaining in the first half.

“We have to build off of this win,” Crouse said.  “Obviously it was a big win for us, but we need to take something from this and keep it rolling.  It has to go uphill from here on out.”