Trib HSSN football player of the week – Tyler Eber
School – Thomas Jefferson
Class – Junior
Height/weight – 5-foot-11, 183 pounds
Position – Running back, linebacker
#Earned – If there is anyone who could have used a soak over the weekend, it was Thomas Jefferson bell cow running back Tyler Eber. To say the junior has been carrying the offensive load this season would be an understatement. Eber is averaging more than 26 carries per game, but since a Week 6 loss to Trinity, Eber has really been relied on for the Jaguars. Last week, he carried the ball 38 times, gained 279 yards and scored six touchdowns in TJ’s win over Ringgold. On Friday, in a key Class 4A Big Six Conference battle for second place, Eber carried the ball 41 times, gained 334 yards and scored four touchdowns on runs of 40, 10 and 1 yard, plus a 90-yard scoring run on his first carry of the game as the Jaguars clinched a playoff berth with a 45-6 win over host Chartiers Valley.
Background – Eber had a breakout sophomore season a year ago, leading the WPIAL in rushing with 2,276 yards on 420 carries. He also led the district in scoring with 36 touchdowns. He got a taste of varsity football two years ago when he rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries and scored three touchdowns as a freshman. Heading into the final game of the regular season against Laurel Highlands on Friday, Eber has rushed for 1,480 yards on 237 carries with 27 touchdowns. Thomas Jefferson (7-2) clinched a playoff berth with the Week 8 win and will finish second behind Trinity in the Big Six Conference. Eber says his favorite season is fall, but he enjoys winter because he has more time to hang with his buddies and he enjoys skiing. His younger brother Mason is a freshman for the Jaguars, following in his brother’s footsteps at running back and also linebacker.
What coach says – “Tyler just keeps coming,” Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said. “He will carry the ball 40 or 50 times, he doesn’t care. He has been reliable and healthy.”
“He has taken on a leadership role that is very important,” Cherpak said. “He definitely leads by example. He is tough and works extremely hard at everything he does.”
“Tyler runs hard and hits the hole so fast it makes it very difficult for the defense,” Cherpak said. “He’s not a big kid, but he runs with power and speed.”
“He takes pride in everything he does and is willing to put in the work to be the best he can be,” Cherpak said. “He is the type of player every coach loves to have in their program.”
WPIAL Week 8 Honorable Mention
Tristyn Tavares – Norwin
Norwin finished last in Class 6A a year ago, but is now one win away from finishing third and knocking on the door of a district playoff berth. Senior quarterback Tristyn Tavares got the scoring started Friday on a 51-yard touchdown run, tied the game in the fourth quarter on a short run and led a last-minute drive that set up Tristian Josephic’s winning kick with 5 seconds left. Tavares threw for 118 yards and rushed for 126 in leading the Knights past visiting Canon-McMillan, 24-21, in a pivotal 6A game.
Luca Neal – Avonworth
Look who is back in the Avonworth offensive backfield. Senior Luca Neal, who was a dominant force in the Antelopes’ rushing attack on their way to a WPIAL championship a year ago, came into Week 8 as the ‘Lopes leading receiver, but he had only six carries for 45 yards. That changed in Week 8 as Neal is back as a force in whatever he does, rushing for 223 yards on only 10 carries and scoring three touchdowns in a Class 3A Western Hills Conference battle for first place as Avonworth rolled past North Catholic, 42-10.
Ryan Messina – Elizabeth Forward
In a Class 3A Interstate Conference Week 8 showdown for first place, the new kids on the block could not hang with the conference top dog as Southmoreland tasted defeat for the first time in a 42-0 loss to Elizabeth Forward. The Warriors’ lead dog was senior quarterback Ryan Messina, who connected on 14 of 19 passes for 160 yards, plus he rushed for 193 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 47, 15 and 6 yards as the visiting Warriors again claimed the conference title.
Tim Andrasy – Leechburg
A week ago, Leechburg and star senior running back Tim Andrasy were shut down in a shutout loss to Clairton. However, the offensive bounce back was strong from both the back and the team’s standpoint. Andrasy continued to rise up the district leading rushers list by gaining 348 yards on 39 carries and scored five touchdowns on runs of 62, 7, 5, 3 and 19 yards as the Blue Devils clinched a WPIAL Class A Eastern Conference playoff berth in outlasting visiting Brentwood, 48-41.
2025 HSSN Players of the Week
Week 7 – Matt Sieg, Fort Cherry
Week 6 – Marino Graham, New Castle
Week 5 – Jonah Williamson, Trinity
Week 4 – David Dennison, Bethel Park
Week 3 – Scoop Smith, Woodland Hills
Week 2 – Joey Felitsky and Logan Schade, North Catholic
Week 1 – James “BooBoo” Armstrong, Hopewell
Week Zero – Gabriel Jenkins, Imani Christian