Jake Hoffner could end up being a Wall Street tycoon. For now, he'll settle on Division I linebacker.
Hoffner, a senior at Hempfield, gave a verbal commitment Tuesday to play football at Wagner, located in Staten Island, N.Y. Wagner plays in the FCS Northeast Conference, the same conference as Duquesne and Robert Morris.
Hoffner (5-foot-11, 225 pounds) was a three-year starter and a first-team all-conference linebacker. He was second on the team last season with 68 tackles and had one interception.
“My decision was made fairly easily after my visit last weekend,” Hoffner said. “They have an incredible football coaching staff as a whole, and they made me feel at home. Also, I felt a connection with them like I haven't on any visits yet.”
Hoffner knows he is taking the right steps to begin a potential career in business.
“On top of the football, the opportunities with internships being in New York City and their quality of education in my field made it an easy decision,” he said.
More recruiting
Southmoreland senior Nate Lockhart will continue his soccer career at Gannon. A solid defender, Lockhart also served as the Scottie dog mascot.
• Hempfield football player Kendrick Wells committed to Geneva. An outside linebacker, Wells (5-10, 195) had 66 tackles and four sacks last season.
Ross closing in
Greensburg Central Catholic senior guard Alvin Ross quietly has crept to within three points of 1,000 for his basketball career. Some forget how good Ross was at Frazier, where he played two seasons and scored more than 800 points before he transferred to GCC. Ross scored nine points in Monday's 57-50 win over Shady Side Academy that capped GCC's first undefeated regular season (22-0) and moved his point total to 997.
Hockey clinchings
The local playoff picture is set in the PIHL. Three area teams are postseason-bound: Latrobe (8-8-1) and Hempfield (8-8-1) in Class AA and Franklin Regional (17-0) in Class A.
Family ties
Latrobe junior basketball player Laura Graytok topped 1,000 career points earlier this season, which makes her the third member of her family to accomplish the feat.
Her brother, Brian, scored 1,000 at Greensburg Central Catholic and plays at Washington & Jefferson, and Sean hit the milestone at Latrobe. He plays at the Coast Guard Academy.
Batting 1,000
Tommy Pisula, Southmoreland's unheralded senior guard, topped the 1,000-point mark last Friday night.
Only six other players have done it at Southmoreland, including Pisula's 6-11 junior teammate Brandon Stone earlier this season.
The others are Eric Roslonski (2,193 points), Russ Grimm (1,297), Jim Keibler (1,241), Matt Odroneic (1,236) and Doug Leighty (1,014).
“My dad (Al) is good friends with Russ Grimm,” Pisula said. “We thought it would be huge to beat his (point total). But I don't think so now.”
Pisula reached the milestone in three years after missing his junior season with a knee injury he suffered during football season.
Spartan race
Hempfield track and field continued its strong indoor season at last weekend's meet at Edinboro, the fourth meet of the Tri-State Track Coaches Association winter schedule.
Bailey Traczynski won the 60-meter hurdles (9.15 seconds), and other winners were Sam Orie in the shot put (40 feet, 2 inches), Gabby Holmberg in the triple jump (36-6 1⁄2), Zack Sattieux in the pole vault (13-9, state-qualifying mark), Alex Murray in the shot put (57-2). The girls 3,200 relay also posted a win (10:33.53).
At the Youngstown State meet, James Guy and Rachel Hutchinson earned victories in the weight throw.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.
