He made his best bid to give Hazleton Area some life on the wrestling mat, just the same way he tried to give the Cougars hope on the football field in another kind of postseason tournament.

But Chad Hoffman’s second trip to the Lehigh Valley in a matter of months for the PIAA postseason ended the same way his first one did.

It finished abruptly when an inspiring performance by Hoffman couldn’t prevent a disappointing loss by his team.

“It was our goal to get to Hershey,” Hoffman said.

Both times, his Cougars fell short.

This latest endeavor came Tuesday evening, when Council Rock North dropped Hazleton Area 48-22 in a preliminary round of the PIAA team wrestling championships.

So Council Rock North, which dominated most of the match held at Whitehall High School in the Lehigh Valley, will prepare for the Class 3A state team championships which will open Friday at the Giant Center in Hershey while the Cougars try to regroup for individual districts.

But there was a point early on in that nightmare for Hazleton Area where the Cougars actually believed they would win, and they can thank Hoffman for creating that sense of excitement.

After wrestling in a lower weight class until last weekend, Hoffman pulled out an unexpected pin when he turned Council Rock North’s Andrew Dispirito near the midway point of their 160-pound match. The six team points he picked up for the move gave the Cougars a 6-5 lead, and started a Hazleton Area surge that continued with a pin by Pat LaBuz and a major decision by Jared Kay for a 16-5 Cougars advantage.

“Coming with LaBuz and Kay afterwards, our whole team felt pretty good,” Hoffman said. “I bumped up to 160, felt pretty good. It’s better to wrestle heavier kids, it helps you improve. (Dispirito) really battled. I just tried to do my best for the team.”

The team made a little leap of faith through his performance.

“When we started off with Chad getting a pin, Pat getting a pin, I thought that was a momentum boost for us,” Hazleton Area coach Dave Shafer said.

The rest of Hazleton Area’s ride, though, needed some booster cables.

Council Rock North picked up bonus points in eight of the evening’s 14 matches, including two forfeits. That kind of power wasn’t going to be short-circuited by a couple of sparks from Hazleton Area.

“Team depth is what comes first,” Hoffman said. “It’s such a tough sport. I love it.”

He hated coming up short in a state tournament again, and Hoffman displayed his frustration by repeatedly burying his face in his hands as the chances of victory kept flickering away.

He had a similar feeling of dejection playing quarterback for the Cougars back on Nov. 20, following a 28-6 defeat against Easton in a District 2/4-11 football semifinal played in the Lehigh Valley.

Hoffman was brilliant early in that game, throwing for over 100 yards in the first quarter and firing a 38-yard completion to get up a touchdown that pulled Hazleton Area within 7-6.

But try as he might, he couldn’t pull the Cougars up off the mat, that day or this one.

That’s because no matter how great or how determined an individual effort may be, it takes more than one to make a team.

About the Author

Paul Sokoloski is a sports columnist and reporter for the Times Leader. Reach him at (570) 970-7109 or at psokoloski@timesleader.com.

Archives

It takes more than a spark to lift a full team Paul Sokoloski Opinion

Rebounding to stay in life’s changing game Paul Sokoloski Opinion

Clark has done plenty for Lions PAUL SOKOLOSKI OPINION

Firsthand path to renewed respect of disabled hunters TOM VENESKY OPINION

Pryor finally starting to make his true mark Paul Sokoloski Opinion

Martinez is ready for another battle PAUL SOKOLOSKI OPINION

Yanks have found ways to answer the Phillies PAUL SOKOLOSKI OPINION

Yanks have found ways to answer the Phillies PAUL SOKOLOSKI OPINION

In an instant, Phillies’ hopes went out of focus PAUL SOKOLOSKI OPINION

Philly Noise Factory thunders with energy PAUL SOKOLOSKI OPINION