It's no secret Thomas Jefferson head coach Bill Cherpak likes to run the ball.
With players like senior QB/RB Chase Winovich and junior RB Austin Kemp running behind a stout offensive line, Thomas Jefferson is the No. 1 rushing team still left in the hunt for Heinz Field.
But one of the Jaguars' most consistent offensive weapons this season has been senior wide receiver Dalton Dietrich.
“He's our go-to guy,” said TJ's senior quarterback Christian Breisinger.
Dietrich owns 798 of the team's 946 total passing yards, and eight touchdowns as a receiver and cornerback. He has caught at least one pass in all 11 games, and averages 18.6 yards per reception.
Yet Dietrich doesn't mind not receiving recognition for his part in helping the Jaguars roll into the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals with a perfect 11-0 record.
“I'm just trying to do the best I can to help the team. I just do what I do,” Dietrich said. “I'm there for the team, not for myself. We're all in it together.”
Thomas Jefferson's two-quarterback system has kept opponents off balance all year, but Dietrich has been a steady force no matter who's been behind center.
“He does it with both of us. He understands what we both do,” Breisinger said. “He's all for it.”
Twice in the regular season Dietrich went off big. In Week 3, he caught seven passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns as TJ trumped Hollidaysburg, 45-12. Three weeks later, he snagged seven more balls for 148 yards in a 58-21 win over Laurel Highlands.
Dietrich credits all his game-day success to what he does in practice.
Cherpak has witnessed Dietrich's effort for the past four years, and holds him as an example of what can come from a successful week of preparation.
“We try to always simulate what happens in the game so nothing is new for them. Dalton takes every rep. He practices hard. He does everything to get better all the time,” Cherpak said. “That's what we want the kids to do. We want them to, when they go out there, come off the field a better player than when they went on.
“He's just a great example of working hard and having great success.”
Dietrich, a three-year starter, lets his experience do the talking, and definitely serves as a leader on a team that looks to capture a WPIAL championship for the first time since 2008.
“He's a captain every game. Kids look up to him,” Breisinger said. “It's all about respect. He's been there, he's done that.”
The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Dietrich does a little bit of everything. On offense, he gets the ball on sweeps, bubble screens and reverses. On the flip side, he leads the team with three interceptions.
Last week, Thomas Jefferson edged Highlands, 24-13, in the WPIAL quarterfinals, and Cherpak believes the close game served as a wake-up call for the rest of the postseason.
“I think the big thing it showed the kids is that everybody's good (at this point in the playoffs). Everyone is capable of beating you,” Cherpak said. “I said after the game, ‘Irregardless of what happened in the game, the mistakes we made and what happened, we found a way to win the close game.' That's really the first time we've been in that position, and I was happy with (the outcome).”
The Jaguars face Central Valley (10-1) Friday night at Chartiers Valley High School in the WPIAL semifinal round. The Warriors ended TJ's season in the 2010 semifinals, and Dietrich still remembers the feeling as a freshman on that team.
“When I was a freshman, I didn't know what it took,” Dietrich said. “I feel like we felt like it was going to be an easy game to get to Heinz.”
Cherpak remembers that game, too, and looking at Central Valley this year, knows it could be another nail-biter.
‘'They're an unbelievable football team,” he said. “Once you get in the playoffs at this point in the semis, it's really simple — who makes a play here or there, or who makes a mistake, is the difference in the game.”
Now, heading into Friday night, there are no more secrets.
“We have to bring our ‘A' game,” Dietrich said. “It's going to be a dogfight the whole game.”
Justin Criado is a freelance writer.
