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The Sleepy Hollow sophomore grabbed his inhaler for his asthma and was determined to give himself a birthday present. When the tournament was over, Hofling came away with the 170-pound title after a pin of Pearl River’s Chris Flynn one minute into the second period.
It is the first tournament title for Hofling, who pinned his three opponents. Teammate Edwin Jimenez placed second in the 138-pound weight class and Raymon Rodriguez finished fourth at 106 pounds.
“I felt confident coming into the tournament,” said Hofling, who received a high five from older brother and former Sleepy Hollow wrestler Ben. “I wanted to come out strong, use the moves that coach Dennis Bencosme showed us and I wanted to make sure I wrestled smart.
“This is the first time I ever got by the first round of a tournament.”
Hofling took control of the match early with a quick takedown and then allowed Flynn to escape, realizing he had the advantage on his feet.
Hofling opened the second period with a takedown at the edge of the mat and finished Flynn off.
“I came out of nowhere because I didn’t wrestle last year and I think I surprised a lot of people by winning and pinning my way through the tournament,” Hoifling said. “Today I wanted to come out and win it and it feels great.”
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