Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football 2025 Commit Wins WPIAL Title

A Pitt Panthers 2025 football commit won a WPIAL Title.

Dominic Campbell

Pitt Football Class of 2025 commitment Shep Turk wins the WPIAL 4A Title with Thomas Jefferson
Pitt Football Class of 2025 commitment Shep Turk wins the WPIAL 4A Title with Thomas Jefferson / Shep Tur
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have a Class of 2025 football commitment who won a WPIAL Title for his high school this past weekend.

Offensive lineman/defensive lineman Shep Turk, who plays for Thomas Jefferson High School in Jefferson Hills, Pa., helped his team win the WPIAL Class 4A Title over McKeesport, 28-7 at Norwin High School.

The WPIAL title is the 11th all-time for Thomas Jefferson, ranked tied third with Newcastle and behind Clairton, second most with 14 titles, and Aliquippa, who have the most with 20 titles.

The win also keeps Thomas Jefferson undefeated on the season at 13-0. They earned the No. 1 seed in 4A and defeated No. 8 West Allegheny at home in the Quarterfinals, 28-7, and No. 4 Aliquippa at Chartiers Valley High School in Bridgeville, Pa. in the Semifinals, 34-14.

Turk was one of the first commitments for Pitt in the Class of 2025, choosing to do so on May 13. He made his official visit on June 13 and has visited for three games this season, including vs. rival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl on Sept. 14, Cal on Oct. 12 and Virginia on Nov. 9.

He had offers from a number of schools, including Army, MAC schools in Buffalo, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Kent State other FBS schools in Army, Temple and UMass and FCS schools in Bucknell, Duquesne, Lehigh, Maine, Monmouth and Stony Brook.

Turk will play build a relationship with first-year Pitt offensive line coach

"I wanted to go somewhere where I feel like I could shine and I could thrive and I feel like Pitt fits the mold for that," Turk said back in May. "And I wanted to go somewhere I get to play smash mouth football. I get to run the ball down someone’s throat, punch someone and not let them punch back. I also feel like Pitt fits that mold for me too. Lastly, I wanted to go somewhere I can get a ring, win a championship and I feel like Pitt has that on the horizon and I feel like that’s going to happen here with the new staff. 

Turk will join a few Thomas Jefferson alums who played for Pitt in recent years. This includes linebacker Dom Decicco (2007-10), fellow offensive lineman Lucas Nix (2008-11), and defensive linemen in Noah Palmer (2018-21) and Devin Danielson (2018-23). Thomas Jefferson's head coach Bill Cherpak also played for Pitt in college in the late 1980s. 

"I’m definitely excited to be a part of that pipeline," Turk said on the connection between TJ and Pitt. " I think it’s very important and I think a lot of kids from TJ that go to Pitt do well and end up doing great things. So I just want to be another one of those."

Outside of football, Turk is an excellent wreslter. He finished with a 34-9 record last season, with 26 pins and won the WPIAL AAA title at 285 pounds. 

Turk and Thomas Jefferson head to the state playoffs will face off against Clearfield High School in the PIAA 4A Quarterfinals on Nov. 22 at Windber High School in Windber, Pa.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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