The Chartiers Valley High School football team is off to its best start in school history.

The Colts have won six consecutive games and are tied for first place in the Big Seven Conference.

All that will be on the line, as Chartiers Valley faces its biggest challenge of the season.

"This is the game everybody has been waiting for," said Chartiers Valley coach Chris Saluga, referring to tonight's conference showdown with three-time defending WPIAL champion Thomas Jefferson, which will air on FSN at 7 p.m.

"Thomas Jefferson is ranked No. 1 in both the WPIAL and PIAA. Many feel TJ is the team to beat again this year. We're looking forward to the challenge."

Chartiers Valley enters the game with a 4-0 record in the Big Seven Conference, while Thomas Jefferson has a 3-0 mark.

"This game decided the conference title the past two years," Saluga said. "It looks like the same might be true this year."

Chartiers Valley will be short-handed. Standout sophomore quarterback Wayne Capers appears to be out for the season with a broken bone in his right foot. Capers was injured in a week five game against Trinity.

At that point he had piled up 377 yards and 11 touchdowns on 69 rushing attempts. He also completed 27 of 44 passes for 603 yards, seven touchdowns, with only one interception.

"Losing [Capers] is a huge loss for them," Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said. "He's a great player and a big weapon."

Capers has been replaced by senior Rob LaMonde, who was a starter at wide receiver prior to the injury.

"Wayne is out for the season. There's nothing we can do about that," Saluga said. "Nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've just got to shut up and play. Everybody will have to play a little better to compensate for his loss."

LaMonde took over for Capers in the third quarter of the game against Trinity, but did not attempt a pass. LaMonde made his first start of the season in last week's game against Ringgold and accounted for 168 yards in total offense. He picked up 136 yards and a touchdown on 25 rushing attempts. He also completed 5 of 8 passes for 32 yards.

"[Chartiers Valley] has run a more basic offense with LaMonde, but I expect that to change this week," Cherpak said. "LaMonde is a good athlete who runs the offense well. I expect them to try and hold the ball as much as possible with a ball-control offense."

Chartiers Valley has three running backs who have combined for 585 yards and six touchdowns. Dave Adams leads the Colts with 232 yards and one touchdown on 43 carries. Beau Carson has 221 yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries. Christian Kuntz has 130 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries.

Carson and wide receiver Sean Lapcevic have been the most productive receivers. Carson has 16 catches for 420 yards and five touchdowns, while Lapcevic has 12 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown.

"Our offensive philosophy has changed with Wayne out of the lineup," Saluga said. "We had a big-play threat with Wayne both on the ground and through the air. Now we have to earn our points. We have to control the ball a little more."

Thomas Jefferson ranks first among WPIAL teams in Class AAA with a 41.8 points per game average on offense. The Jaguars also rank first in defense with 5.5 points per game allowed.

"TJ has a very good team, but does not have a big name on offense like they've had in the past," Saluga said. "Coach Cherpak has a squad that is strong in all phases of the game. It will take a great effort to overthrow them. We need to play near perfect and with great inspiration."

Thomas Jefferson has been led by senior quarterback Sam Johnston and sophomore running back Ryan Ruffing.

Johnston has completed 51 of 83 passes for 1,016 yards and 12 touchdowns, with only four interceptions.

His favorite target is senior Jim Giansante, who has 30 catches for 655 yards and eight touchdowns.

Ruffing has rushed for 550 yards on 92 carries and 12 touchdowns. He is joined in the backfield by Kevin Edmonson, who has 225 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.

"The offense is really clicking," Cherpak said. "We are running the ball well and Sam has been patient when throwing the ball. He has some freedom to adjust the play if need be, but we try to take what defenses are giving us."

This is the third consecutive year in which the winner of the conference will be decided by this game. It's also the third year Chartiers Valley will be without its offensive star against Thomas Jefferson.

"Santino Coury missed the last two games against Thomas Jefferson," Saluga said. "He was a running back two years ago and our quarterback last year. It's a lesson in life. You will face adversity throughout your life. How you handle it is a real character check."

• What: Thomas Jefferson at Chartiers Valley.

• When: 7 p.m. today.

• Where: Chartiers Valley Stadium.

• TV: FSN Pittsburgh.

• The skinny: Both teams are 6-0 and vitually tied for first place in the Class AAA Big Seven Conference. Thomas Jefferson is ranked No. 1 in Class AAA by the Post-Gazette, while Chartiers Valley is No. 3.

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