South Hills Record category
Thomas Jefferson rolls past Penn-Trafford to reach WPIAL finals for 1st time since 2019Video
Thomas Jefferson called a timeout about a minute into the game after Penn-Trafford scored the first five points. “Settle, relax,” Jaguars coach Matt Gould told his girls. “You haven’t done anything wrong or right yet.” The second-seeded Jaguars called another timeout late in the fourth. This time, they really could...
Thomas Jefferson fends off furious comeback bid from Amon Hawthorne, Penn Hills in 5A quarters
Entering the fourth quarter of Friday night’s WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal matchup with a 21-point lead over Penn Hills, Thomas Jefferson knew that it wasn’t a sure thing. Despite the large cushion, both coach Dom DeCicco and star forward Nick Trklja acknowledged that there was work to be done. Neither...
Thomas Jefferson boys, girls pack powerful 1-2 punch
It was magical. The 2025-26 regular season could be considered the best combined performance by Thomas Jefferson basketball teams in school history. Dom DeCicco is in his 19th year of coaching the boys team. “I think it’s great,” DeCicco said. “Matt (Gould) has done such a remarkable job with the...
Joey Nix finds perfect touch — again — for Thomas Jefferson bowling
Some bowlers never are able roll a 300 game in a lifetime. Thomas Jefferson senior Joey Nix has accomplished the feat twice during his decorated high school career. Nix tossed his second 300 on Jan. 14 at Spins Bowl, his home alley located on Buttermilk Hollow Road in West Mifflin...
South Hills Record notebook: Thomas Jefferson gymnasts wear WPIAL crown
Thomas Jefferson won the WPIAL team championship in gymnastics for the second year in a row. It marked the second time the Jaguars captured back-to-back titles as they also were WPIAL champions in 2019 and 2020. The TJ girls posted their best final score since 2020 with 142.209 total points...
Brentwood’s Deng Mu makes immediate impact on WPIAL basketball scene
Deng Mu always knew he’d eventually move to the United States. With both of his parents being American citizens, it was only a matter of time before he was reunited with them. What he didn’t know was that basketball would be a central part of his new American life. “I...
Thomas Jefferson’s Emmett Forte earns coveted Breisinger Award
His forte on the Thomas Jefferson football team was tackling. Off the field, he’s a valuable mentor for the younger players. Emmett Forte, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior running back/linebacker, is the recipient of this year’s prestigious Breisinger Award. “I’m honored to be held and looked at in the highest standard...
South Hills real estate transactions for the week of Feb. 22, 2026
Baldwin Borough Michael Hindman sold property at 973 Agnew Road to Terra 90 LLC for $195,000. Richard Rock sold property at 521 Calvert Ave. to Mary Ann Markowitz trustee for $180,000. We Buy 412 LLC sold property at 666 Elaine Drive to Robert and Susan Rushing for $270,000. Andrew Williams...
Maggie Spell hits 2,000-point mark as Thomas Jefferson drops Fox Chapel in 5A quarterfinals
With 15 seconds left in the first quarter of Thomas Jefferson’s 72-44 WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball quarterfinal victory over Fox Chapel, Maggie Spell made a layup. Right after, Jaguars coach Matt Gould called a timeout. “I was like, ‘What was he doing?’ ” Spell said. A strange response coming...
Baldwin elects to play independent football schedule
Citing a focus on student safety and development, the Baldwin-Whitehall School District announced Wednesday that its high school football program will compete as an independent for the next two seasons. The Fighting Highlanders will join Butler as the only WPIAL football programs to be independent for the next two-year cycle....
4C’s Night shows what Baldwin High School is all about
Think back to school lunches and how you probably would have preferred skipping many of them. For students at Baldwin High School, there’s little chance of that today. Lunchtime offers a variety of choices that folks of previous generations could only dream about, from delicious day-launching breakfasts to restaurant-quality pizza...
Underdog Latrobe pushes Thomas Jefferson, but Jaguars hang on for Class 5A win
With three minutes left in the third quarter of its WPIAL Class 5A first-round game Tuesday, Thomas Jefferson found itself trailing No. 14 Latrobe by eight on its home court before rallying for an 86-79 victory. Both teams entered the postseason among the top offenses in 5A, with the Jaguars...
Top-seeded Jeannette wears down pesky Brentwood to reach 2A quarterfinals
Eight days off can cause even the best basketball teams to get a little stale. Teams can scrimmage during the playoffs, but that hardly matches the intensity of the WPIAL tournament. Top-seeded Jeannette had to knock off some early rust in its playoff opener, but the defending champions are moving...
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week for Feb. 15, 2026Video
Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week – Deng Mu School – Brentwood Class – Senior Height – 6-foot-8 Position – Forward #Earned – The family plan for Deng Mu was to come over from Uganda, a country located in East Africa, to the United States before he reached...
Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week for Feb. 15, 2026Video
Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week – Maggie Spell School – Thomas Jefferson Class – Senior Height – 5-foot-10 Position – Guard #Earned – On the heels of a strong 2024-25 campaign in which the Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team finished 22-6 with losses to district Class 5A...
Baldwin High School co-principals earn MVP recognition from Pittsburgh Penguins
When a pair of new administrators took over Baldwin High School’s leadership during the summer, they decided to make a major modification. “This year is the first year that we’ve changed the master schedule of the building since, it could be forever,” co-principal John Saras said. At least, the daily...
‘Here to serve’: South Hills Interfaith Movement offers food lockers in Bethel Park
Getting from Point A to Point B can be a daunting task, especially when attempting a race against the clock. As such, South Hills Interfaith Movement fields some anxiety-ridden calls before its scheduled closing time. “People would say, ‘I got off work at 5, but it takes a while. I’m...
Collectors at South Hills Coin Club show weigh in on value of penny, precious metals
Monessen resident Dave Burdis still remembers the day his father, a bank teller, brought home a half dime coin from work. Burdis, now 74, was just 9 at the time. “I was amazed at it. I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “A half dime? What is that? So I researched...
Plum police: ICE detains Scott Township man at court hearing after he tried to run
A Scott Township man arrested last year in connection with a series of road rage incidents was detained by ICE agents following an altercation at the district court office in Plum, according to court documents filed Wednesday. Vishavdeep Singh, 22, of Scott was charged in November with multiple felonies after...
Making the grade: School districts vary when configuring grade levels in buildings
A realignment of grade levels in Burrell School District buildings has offered more opportunities for students this school year. Students had more clubs, career exploratory classes and leadership prospects because of a district realignment that followed the closure of Stewart Elementary in August 2025. Effective this school year, Bon Air...
Student-conceived Highlander Hub store opens at Baldwin High School
A room that once housed a school store had been locked and unused by the time Janeen Peretin attended Baldwin High in the 1990s. “I remember wondering what it must have been like when students actually used that store and how great it would have been to have that opportunity...
South Hills student achievements for the week of Jan. 27, 2026
Cole Trieste, a freshman acting major at Slippery Rock University, was an understudy in the Theatre Department’s fall production of “Red Bike.” For the fall production of “Into the Woods,” Katelynn Handa, a junior acting major, was an understudy and scene shop assistant. Trieste worked as stage/props crew. Stephen Wesley...
2-sport star at Baldwin, Duquesne to join 2 halls of fame in a week
Robert Healy III, like every young athlete, aspired to be recognized as one of the best in his sport. At the end of January, that dream will become a reality — twice. The former standout football and track and field athlete will be joining Duquesne University and Baldwin High School’s...
Brentwood swimmer keeps lowering school record, striving to reach more goals
It didn’t take long for Brentwood’s Fawn Brendel to break her own school record. Last year, at a home meet against Thomas Jefferson in February, Brendel eclipsed Anna Watterson’s school record in the girls 100-yard butterfly event set in 2010. Brendel swam a 1:07.55 and narrowly missed the WPIAL qualifying...
Nailed it: Baldwin wins school’s 1st PIAA competitive spirit championship
They are known as the Dream Team around the Baldwin-Whitehall area. For the first time in the history its competitive spirit cheer program, Baldwin won the PIAA championship this year in the 3A Large Varsity division. The PIAA finals took place Jan. 9-10 in Johnstown. “Going into awards we had...
