Last year, Thomas Jefferson finished in second place in the chase for the Class 4A Trib Sports Cup.
This school year, the Jaguars are second to none.
TJ edged out last year’s 4A winner Indiana in one of the closest in Sports Cup history.
Only five points was the difference between the Jaguars and the Little Indians.
“We take great pride in the success and accomplishments of all the student athletes at TJ,” Thomas Jefferson athletic director and head football coach Bill Cherpak said. “It is very satisfying to see all of the teams have successful seasons.”
The Trib Cup is a yearlong competition in 26 team sports to determine the top WPIAL sports program in each classification. Schools earn points for section or conference championships, WPIAL playoff berths and district postseason success, state playoff berths and PIAA championships.
The Trib Sports Cup victory is the third for Thomas Jefferson and first since winning the 5A Cup after the 2019-20 school year.
The Jaguars also won a Class 3A Sports Cup in the sixth year of the competition for the 2008-09 school year.
“It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the teams and coaches,” Cherpak said. “Teams are made up of individuals, but those individuals must work together and do their part for the team to have success. The coaches are the leaders that put it all together.”
Outside of the closeness in the final result, another thing that made the Jaguars’ 4A victory so unique is that outside of gymnastics, Thomas Jefferson did not win another WPIAL championship.
However, the school was the model of consistency, scoring points in 15 sports. Indiana and Beaver registered points in 13 sports.
“I think one of the main keys to the success has been the level of participation we have in the district for all of our athletic teams,” Cherpak said. “The kids work hard and want to be part of a team.
“Another factor is the excellence of the coaching staffs and their longevity. Many of them have been here for a long period of time and have maintained successful programs with high expectations.”
While gymnastics was the only championship team for the Jaguars this past school year, several programs contributed key points and just missed out on winning a crown by reaching the finals or falling one step short of a championship game berth.
Both the TJ boys and girls basketball teams played in the WPIAL title game at the Petersen Events Center, but both settled for silver after the boys fell to Chartiers Valley and the girls lost to South Fayette.
The football, boys soccer, baseball and softball teams lost in the district semifinals while girls volleyball, boys cross country, wrestling and boys and girls swimming all claimed section championships.
“Although you always want to win championships, the main goal is to have consistent success,” Cherpak said. “Our teams have been able to achieve that in just about every sports program we offer. Our teams compete and win section championships on an annual basis.”
In the closest chase for the Cup, Indiana settled for second place, only five points behind Thomas Jefferson.
Those two programs have finished at or near the top in Class 4A for three straight years.
Indiana and Thomas Jefferson finished tied for second place two years ago and, last year, it was the Little Indians first and the Jaguars second.
Rounding out the Top 5 in Class 4A were Elizabeth Forward in third place with county rivals Beaver and Blackhawk ending up tied for fourth place.
Class 4A Trib Cup standings in 2025-26
1. Thomas Jefferson – 375
2. Indiana – 370
3. Elizabeth Forward – 335
4. Beaver – 275
4. Blackhawk – 275
6. Hampton – 240
7. Ringgold – 190
8. Derry – 165
8. Latrobe – 165
10. Belle Vernon – 140
10. West Allegheny – 140
12. Montour – 130
13. Hopewell – 125
14. Kiski Area – 120
15. Greensburg Salem – 90
16. Laurel Highlands – 70
17. Ambridge– 60
18. McKeesport – 55
19. Highlands – 40
19. Uniontown – 40
21. West Mifflin – 20
22. Albert Gallatin – 0