The West Jefferson Hills School District has announced the members of the district’s Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Seventeen Thomas Jefferson High School graduates or district contributors along with two TJ athletic teams will be inducted in spring 2025. This year, the Hall of Fame Committee will also recognize a Thomas Jefferson alumna with the first WJHSD Courage and Perseverance Award.

Launched in 2019, the West Jefferson Hills Hall of Fame program inducted its first two classes in March 2023. In March 2024, 24 graduates and contributors and two athletic teams were part of the WJHSD Hall of Fame’s third class. The Hall of Fame recognizes and celebrates those graduates who have distinguished themselves in the areas of academics, arts, or athletics, as well as educators, staff, and community members who have positively impacted the West Jefferson Hills community. The WJHSD Hall of Fame Committee made up of alumni, school administrators, educators, and staff reviewed dozens of nominations throughout the fall. 

“Hall of Fame inductees have their legacy, contributions, and achievements forever etched in the history of the West Jefferson Hills School District,” said Dr. Janet Sardon, superintendent of the West Jefferson Hills School District. “Each year, the Hall of Fame committee has the difficult task of choosing a small number of recipients from many worthy nominations. The reach of Thomas Jefferson High School and the West Jefferson Hills School District extends beyond our three communities and into our region, state, and country. The Hall of Fame celebrates the district’s tradition and pride.”

The Hall of Fame Class will be inducted as part of Hall of Fame Weekend with a banquet scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2025 at the Georgetown Centre in Pleasant Hills. Ticket information will be announced in early 2025.

This year’s inductees include:

David Bohonak

William E. Carr

Ronald Polcawich

Dr. Gary A. Sanders

Lt. Colonel Cory Scharbo

William W. Stoops

1974 Boys’ Track & Field Team

2002 Boys’ Soccer Team

Jonathan Drager

Tom LaFrankie

Cuyler Mikell

Keith Potts

Tyler Reed

Peter Winovich III

Mark Deklin

Eric Holzworth 

Scott Breisinger

Joseph Dolata

George Wilson

Haleigh Karcher

David Bohonak ’96 – David Bohonak graduated as the valedictorian of his class. He graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, from the University of Delaware with a master’s degree in chemical engineering, and from Penn State University with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering. He is currently a senior strategy consultant with MilliporeSigma.

William E. Carr ’74 – After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, William Carr supported NASA for more than 40 years in space exploration and national defense. Carr retired as the director of program integration for Jacobs Technology at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, supporting the Artemis program.

Dr. Ronald Polcawich ’93 – After high school graduation, Dr. Ronald Polcawich received a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1997, a master’s degree in materials from Penn State University in 1999, and a doctorate degree in materials science and engineering from Penn State University in 2007. He is currently a program manager with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Dr. Gary A. Sanders ’75 – A member of the National Honor Society while at Thomas Jefferson High School, Dr. Gary A. Sanders will mark 50 years of service to the United States in the field of nuclear safety in 2025. His professional experience included design work on nuclear submarines, civilian nuclear power safety, and strategic nuclear deterrence to maintain peace and avoid global war or nuclear terrorism.  

Lt. Colonel Cory Scharbo ’01 – Lt. Colonel Scharbo has served in the Army for 23 years and was deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Currently, he serves an active component assignment under the Chief of Staff of the National Guard Bureau’s Architecture, Data,Standards/Compliance (ADS) Division as the Data Implementation Branch Chief.

Dr. William W. Stoops ’96 – Dr. William Stoops is a faculty member at the University of Kentucky in the Departments of Behavioral Science, Psychiatry and Psychology. Dr. Stoops also directs the Clinical Research Support Office at the University of Kentucky and is Associate Director for Clinical Research of the University of Kentucky Substance Use Priority Research Area.

1974 Boys’ Track & Field Team – The Jaguars team won the WPIAL Championship in 1974.

2002 Boys’ Soccer Team – The Jaguars won the WPIAL and PIAA Championships in 2002.

Jonathan Drager ’03 – Jonathan Drager held the Thomas Jefferson record for offensive yards, points, and rushing touchdowns in the 2002 season. He also holds the school record for longest interception return (99 yards). Drager played in 36 games at Kent State and serves as running backs coach at TJ.

Tom LaFrankie ’69 – A three-year letterman in football, baseball, and basketball while at Thomas Jefferson High School, Tom LaFrankie was recruited by more than a dozen schools for football and four for baseball. After attending Temple University, he worked for and owned 13 businesses in the area, including Benson Lincoln.

Cuyler Mikell ’73 – A back-to-back state champion in the long jump, Cuyler Mikell attended the University of Pittsburgh on a track scholarship. Mikell then served his country in the United States Navy for more than 20 years.

Keith Potts ’74 – Keith Potts received ten varsity letters while in high school and was an all-conference player in both baseball and basketball in the 1970s. A physical education teacher in Virginia, Potts also coached basketball, baseball, and soccer.

Tyler Reed ’01 – Tyler Reed was a four-year starter at offensive tackle/defensive tackle in high school and played right guard at Penn State University. Reed was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2006.

Peter Winovich III ’04 – Peter Winovich III was a three-year starter at quarterback and outside linebacker for the Jaguars and led the team to a 30-5 record as a starting QB and two undefeated regular seasons. Winovich went on to play at Bowling Green State University after graduation.

Mark Deklin ’86 – After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, Mark Deklin earned acclaim as an actor on Broadway, film, and television. He appeared in network television’s Lone Star and Designated Survivor and is a video game voice actor.

Eric Holzworth ’87 – Eric Holzworth was a National Honor Society member, as well as a three-year letterman on the Thomas Jefferson football team. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in electrical engineering where he was also the special teams captain in 1990, he was the co-founder/owner and managing partner of an infrastructure engineering firm in the Atlanta area. Holzworth will be inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously. 

Scott Breisinger – For a quarter century, Scott Breisinger has created TJ football and basketball highlight films, forever documenting the accomplishments of Jaguar athletes. A former president of the football boosters, Breisinger created the Alby Breisinger Scholarship Award which recognizes the character, courage, leadership, and sacrifice of a member of the Thomas Jefferson High School football team.

Joseph Dolata – As President/CEO of Precision Auto Sales, Joseph Dolata regularly gives back to the community by bringing in students to train, teach, and mentor them and position them for future success. Dolata’s charitable contributions have also supported schools and police departments.

George Wilson – A graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and a two-sport athlete, George Wilson was an educator and coach in the West Jefferson Hills School District. He coached middle school track and field, middle school wrestling, high school track and field, high school softball, high school wrestling, and high school football. During his 33 years with the football program, he was part of three state championships, five WPIAL championships, and 16 conference championships. 

Haleigh Karcher ’19 – A four year softball starter and varsity letter winner, Haleigh Karcher showed tremendous determination to return to the softball field following a major accident. A labor and delivery nurse, Karcher also serves as an assistant high school softball coach and was a part of the 2024 state championship season.