Latrobe wrestlers defeat Class 3A foe Norwin

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, December 20, 2017 | 10:30 PM

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Adam Hoffman kept a positive vibe throughout his match-deciding victory for the Latrobe wrestling team Wednesday night, never wavering from an I've-got-this-in-the-bag mentality.

Clinging to a two-point lead in the third period of the 220-pound bout, Hoffman's pin of Dustin Logue in the final seconds secured a 39-30 WPIAL Class 3A victory for the Wildcats over host Norwin.

“I just knew I could hold on,” Hoffman said. “I was trying to figure out what I was going to do, and I just figured I'd go for it all and it worked out.”

Hoffman and Logue stood toe-to-toe for long periods with neither giving much more than an inch until the end.

“Hoffman is the toughest guy you're going to see,” Latrobe coach Mike Ciotti said. “He works so hard, and he doesn't give in. He's got a 4.2 grade-point average, and he plans on going to the Marines when he's finished with school. He might not be a state champ, but he's a guy you want on your team with you.”

Hoffman pinned Logue at 5 minutes, 55 seconds in a struggle that went down to the wire with Hoffman clinging to a 3-1 lead before registering the pin.

Latrobe (2-1, 2-0 Section 1-B) built a 27-3 lead and held on after Norwin closed within 33-30 heading to the final bout.

“Latrobe is very well coached, and we knew going in that they had some excellent wrestlers down below,” Norwin coach Brandon Miller said. “We figured if we could steal a match or two and keep it close that we'd have a chance.”

The Knights nearly pulled the upset after falling into a big hole.

“Our subsection is as tough as it gets in the state,” Miller said.

Norwin's only early points came on a major decision by Kurtis Phipps, the defending PIAA champion at 106 pounds, in the second bout of the night.

After that, Latrobe reeled off five victories in a row by Brady Sherbeck (113), Enzo Angelicchio (120), Gabe Willochell (126), Ricky Armstrong (132) and Tyler Zellers (145).

“We've got young guys, a young team, and we're trying to develop a strong core of wrestlers for years to come,” said Ciotti, who took over the Latrobe program in 2015, a year after the Wildcats finished runner-up to Franklin Regional in the PIAA tournament.

“We've got a really strong middle program and a great Junior Olympics program,” he said. “We had a tough year last year, but we're building things as we go, and we're expecting to have more success as time goes on.”

Dave Mackall is a freelance writer.

Tags: Latrobe, Norwin