ALTOONA, Pa. -- Never mind the chilly temperatures or bright sun that shined in players' eyes. Noise was a big factor in yesterday's PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal game.

Selinsgrove's defensive players literally made a lot of noise in the first half and their yelling before the snap caused problems for Thomas Jefferson's spread offense.

Then Thomas Jefferson's Orlando Torres came out in the second half and let his running ability do some talking. Selinsgrove didn't have to cover its ears, but the wounded Seals wanted to cover their eyes at the final score.

Torres had another big game, especially in the second half, and helped brutish Thomas Jefferson defeat Selinsgrove, 24-10, at Altoona's Mansion Park Stadium. It was the third time in four seasons that Thomas Jefferson beat Selinsgrove in the quarterfinals.

Torres, a 5-foot-9, 178-pound senior, finished with 217 yards on 34 carries. He had 139 yards on 21 carries in the second half when Thomas Jefferson abandoned its no-huddle, spread offense and switched to a power I. Torres scored two touchdowns in the second half.

"We were having trouble running the spread in the first half because our guys couldn't hear our quarterback [Zach DeCicco] calling the plays," Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said. "[Selinsgrove] were dancing, jumping, yelling before the snap. We couldn't hear, so that's why we put Zach under center in the second half and tried to just power the ball more."

This was another chapter in the rags-to-riches story of Torres, a player called "The Streakin' Puerto Rican" by his teammates.

"Some of my friends came up with that name. It's fun," said Torres, who was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the Pittsburgh area when he was 2. Torres used to live in Baldwin, but moved to the Thomas Jefferson district in ninth grade.

Torres was third or fourth on the running back depth chart at the start of the season. But injuries and a coaching decision moved him up the ladder. Late in the season, Thomas Jefferson's coaches made him the No. 1 halfback because they liked his power-running ability.

In the first eight games of the season, Torres had 332 yards rushing. In the past six games, he has 1,019 yards.

"His center of gravity is so low," said Lucas Nix, Thomas Jefferson's outstanding lineman. "He gets hit, but even if he doesn't shed you, he'll still go forward for 5 or 7 yards."

Torres will be the first to point out how much Thomas Jefferson's offensive line means to his success. Nix, a tackle, is the leader, lining up at left or right tackle depending on the play. Besides Nix, the other interior linemen are Pat Eger, Dave Bishoff, Sean Kundrat and Rob McCall. Brock DeCicco, Zach's younger brother, is a tight end along with Matt Hufford.

Thomas Jefferson led at halftime, 9-3, but special teams accounted for all the points. Tim Walls gave Selinsgrove a 3-0 first-quarter lead with a 37-yard field goal. Then Thomas Jefferson's Jim Giansante returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown.

Less than two minutes later, Zach DeCicco burst through the line and blocked a Selinsgrove punt. The ball rolled out of the end zone for a safety and Thomas Jefferson took a 9-3 lead.

Thomas Jefferson had seven first-half penalties, including a handful of false starts.

The Jaguars scored on the opening possession of the second half, going 75 yards in 13 plays. Torres capped the march with a 1-yard run.

"What they did in the second half is what we were worried about," Selinsgrove coach Bill Scott said. "They just lined up with their power and came right at us."