South Hills Record category, Page 9
Thomas Jefferson girls soccer season marked by improvement, 1-goal losses
First place in Section 3-3A was at stake Oct. 7 for the Thomas Jefferson and South Fayette girls soccer teams. A TJ win would result in the two teams sharing the section championship. A victory by South Fayette would give the Lions sole possession of the top spot. South Fayette...
Thomas Jefferson girls look to set new standard with revamped lineup
Thomas Jefferson’s girls basketball team has won nine games in each of the past two seasons. The Jaguars intend to reach double figures in 2024-25. “I expect everyone to work extremely hard and compete. We’re hoping to make the playoffs,” said TJ’s third-year coach Matt Gould, a Penn State graduate...
Thomas Jefferson players reflect on school’s 11th WPIAL football championship
One for the other thumb? Definitely. Distinguished coach Bill Cherpak led the Thomas Jefferson football team to the apex of the WPIAL Class 4A mountaintop this season. The No. 1-seeded Jaguars defeated newly anointed rival and No. 3 seed McKeesport, 28-7, on Nov. 16 at Norwin to give Cherpak his...
Despite abrupt end, Thomas Jefferson piled up highlights during boys soccer season
The Thomas Jefferson boys soccer team lost its first game of the 2024 season in double overtime. The Jaguars did not lose another one in the regular season in ringing up a 10-1-3 record in Section 2-3A. TJ earned the section championship — its third in four years — ahead...
Thomas Jefferson boys planning encore after successful season
The Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team has a tough act to follow in 2024-25. Last year’s team enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history as the Jaguars advanced to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinal round and racked up a 21-6 record. “Our kids did everything I asked,” coach...
South Hills real estate transactions for the week of Dec. 8, 2024
Baldwin Borough Randy Koonse sold property at 5504 Brownsville Road to KFES Enterprises LLC for $145,000. Randy Koonse sold property at 5510 Brownsville Road to KFES Enterprises LLC for $275,000. Lisa Palmieri sold property at 1179 Camarta Drive to Jamie Ennis and Derek Moran for $425,000. Reed Rutkowski sold property...
A traffic stop in Brentwood raises questions about cops’ use of force
On the night of Oct. 3, Brentwood police pulled over a car on Route 51 because the license plate was partially blocked. When an officer approached the driver, her friend and front-seat passenger, Devin Irwin, held up his iPhone and began recording. The only other person in the car, a...
Bethel Park tops Seton LaSalle in back-and-forth contest
Early December high school basketball doesn’t usually offer many intriguing storylines as teams search for an identity while trying to put one in the win column. However, a good storyline wasn’t difficult to find Friday in the first game of the Upper St. Clair boys basketball tip-off tournament. Two playoff...
Thomas Jefferson stumbles in 2nd half, falls to Lampeter-Strasburg in state semifinals
ALTOONA — A dominant second quarter by Thomas Jefferson meant a trip to the state finals was just 24 minutes away. That made Friday’s loss tougher to take. Two failed fourth-down tries, a near-miss on a sure touchdown pass, a couple of lapses on defense, penalties and some other forgettable...
Bethel Park district judge co-authors book on navigating success
In co-authoring a book called “Navigate Your Path to Success,” Bethel Park resident Ron Arnoni writes from experience. The longtime district judge served his home municipality and Upper St. Clair has a career in public office dating back to when he served on borough council and then as mayor of...
Thomas Jefferson prepares for unorthodox Lampeter-Strasburg running game
Thomas Jefferson tends to have a longer football season than most, so while most schools are preparing to kick off the basketball season Friday, the Jaguars are keeping it on the gridiron in Altoona for a state semifinal matchup against District 3 champions Lampeter-Strasburg. The Jaguars (13-0) and the Pioneers...
Trib HSSN high school football state semifinal preview capsules for Nov. 27, 2024
Welcome to the PIAA final four with 11 games scheduled for Friday and one for Saturday. With 24 teams set to collide post-Thanksgiving for the opportunity to play in a state championship game, let’s provide a breakdown of which districts remain in the hunt for PIAA gold. For the second...
WPIAL Class 2A championship game by the numbers: South Park 21, Seton LaSalle 14
South Park 21, Seton LaSalle 14 South Park 6-8-7-0 — 21 Seton LaSalle 0-7-0-7 — 14 Scoring summary SP: Eric Doerue 6 run (kick blocked) SP: Robert Lenzi 1 run (Doerue run) SLS: Khalil Taylor 32 run (Brayden Carter kick) SP: Doerue 8 run (Griffin Burnett kick) SLS: Richard Littlejohn...
Thomas Jefferson rolls past Clearfield, advances to PIAA semifinals
ALTOONA — There was no hangover for WPIAL champion Thomas Jefferson on Saturday against District 9 champion Clearfield in a PIAA Class 4A quarterfinal at Altoona’s Mansion Park. The Jaguars forced three turnovers in the first half, took control with four touchdowns before the break and finished off a 35-0...
South Park rides running game to secure WPIAL Class 2A championship
It was a turn back the clock day in the 2024 WPIAL Class 2A championship game Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. Nearly two decades since South Park played in a district title game, the Eagles’ approach on offense was more of a game plan from seven decades ago. It was ground...
Christmas cookie sale set at Whitehall church
Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Whitehall is gearing up for its annual Christmas Cookie Sale. The sale will take place at the church, 450 Maxwell Drive, on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost is $15 per pound, and attendees can choose what they want. Nut rolls are $18...
Fierce defenses square off when Pine-Richland, Peters Township meet in WPIAL title rematch
There are plenty of old football coach sayings that link defense and championships. Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne offered this one ahead of the WPIAL finals: “If they don’t score, they can’t win.” Simple enough. No. 1 Pine-Richland (10-1) plays No. 3 Peters Township (11-1) in a WPIAL Class 5A final...
Barbecue restaurant Owl’s Nest open in Upper St. Clair
Kirill Faerovitch owns several cigar businesses, so it is not surprising his latest venture also involves smoke. Owl’s Nest is a barbecue restaurant that opened four months ago in Upper St. Clair. “We specialize in traditional smoked meats with a European twist on presentation, bringing a unique flavor and dining...
In brief: Sluganski Memorial Scholarship, holiday events and more in South Hills
Foundation reaches goal for Sluganski Memorial Scholarship The Baldwin-Whitehall Education Foundation has reached its $75,000 capital endowment campaign goal for the Officer Sean Sluganski Memorial Scholarship. Uplifting that the BWEF reached the milestone on his actual birthday: Oct. 29. This means the annual scholarship will now be funded in perpetuity...
Thomas Jefferson puts up big numbers en route to WPIAL championship game
The numbers just kept piling up for the Thomas Jefferson football team this season. The top-seeded Jaguars took a perfect 12-0 record into the WPIAL Class 4A championship game with former conference rival McKeesport, the No. 3 seed. And TJ’s legendary Bill Cherpak was going for his 10th district championship...
Baldwin volleyball teammates taking talents to Pitt-Johnstown
Baldwin seniors Avery Barrett and Kaylee Smolko hardly could wait for Nov. 13 to finally arrive. Both were scheduled to officially commit that day to Pitt-Johnstown where they will continue their athletic and academic careers. They were the only two seniors on the Baldwin girls volleyball team in 2024. “I...
South Hills real estate transactions for the week of Nov. 17, 2024
Baldwin Borough Rose Milkovich Andrews sold property at 5250 Elmwood Drive to Brian Davis and Rose Andrews for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $89,800). Estate of Thomas Kelley sold property at 424 Faith Drive to Kathie Jo Manning for $268,000. Daniel Griener sold property at 4733...
Thomas Jefferson tops McKeesport for WPIAL Class 4A championship, giving Bill Cherpak 10th title
Bill Cherpak has never been one to tout his own stats or accolades and that remained the case after becoming the first WPIAL coach to reach double-digit championships in football on Saturday. His Thomas Jefferson players did the talking for him. “He’s the G.O.A.T. Period,” Jaguars running back Tyler Eber...
Nearby rivals Thomas Jefferson, McKeesport set to battle for WPIAL Class 4A title
It is somewhat surprising that Thomas Jefferson and McKeesport, despite their proximity to one other, have only met five times on the football field. The schools, located in the South Hills’ Mon Valley area, are separated by just 11 miles. They didn’t start playing one another until 2020; McKeesport owns...
Baldwin track dedicated to Helbig
Colleagues, family, students, athletes and alumni gathered at Baldwin High School Stadium the evening of Oct. 26 to honor their late track coach, Edward Helbig. Helbig died in August at age 72 following a battle with esophageal cancer. He coached at Baldwin for 49 years. Those in attendance shared their...
