The only thing to slow down Half Moon Bay senior Chase Hofmann was the margin of victory by which the Cougars steamrolled past most opponents, ending his night early on multiple occasions and therefore keeping his numbers somewhat in check. But when he was on the field, regardless whether it was on offense, defense, or special teams, there was little question that he was the premier player, able to take over a game in any aspect.

The Most Valuable Player in the PAL-Bay Division, Hofmann led the way for a Half Moon Bay program which captured three straight CCS titles, with the last title coming in the Open III playoff bracket. The Cougars also went unbeaten during the regular season, after moving up from the Ocean Division, proving themselves beyond a shadow of a doubt. Along the way, he cemented one of the greatest legacies in school history.

“Before Chase, we had retired only two numbers in the history of the Half Moon Bay program,” said Cougars coach Keith Holden. “We retired his jersey the night of the football banquet this year. He did so much for this program, and he is a very deserving young man. That’s how highly we regard him.”

While no player at Half Moon Bay will again wear number 21, that number struck a combination of awe and fear into opponents over the past few seasons. The six-foot senior racked up 40 touchdowns from scrimmage this year, with nearly 1,400 rushing yards, despite being restricted to fewer than 10 carries in five different blowout victories.

Meanwhile, he was also the heart and soul of the Cougars’ defense with 97 tackles, including 11 tackles for a loss. In the CIF 3-A title game against Steele Canyon, Hofmann kept Half Moon Bay stride-for-stride with the much larger charter school, rushing for 170 yards and two touchdowns while also notching 10 stops on defense.

“Since Pop Warner, he has always been both a play-maker offensively, and a play-stopper defensively,” said Half Moon Bay quarterback Gavin Tomberlin, who also won three section titles up on the varsity alongside Hofmann. “I’ve never known anything different about him. He’s so tough and so smart on the football field.”

Holden echoed the same sentiments about Hofmann, who is practically a household name in the small peninsula destination town.

“Chase is a great kid and an excellent football player, someone who has a high football IQ, and asks great questions when preparing for a game,” Holden said. “He understands tendencies, and things of that nature. He literally does it all on a football field.”

Hofmann showcased his receiving talents as well this year, escaping out of the backfield in the Cougars’ triple-option attack to haul in 15 passes for 250 yards, including a 58-yard reception in Half Moon Bay’s 41-9 win over Terra Nova in the section championship game. And despite leading the way offensively and defensively, he continued to contribute on special teams, returning a kickoff 82 yards against El Camino, blocking a punt against Palo Alto, and blocking a kick against Burlingame.

Best of all, despite all the overwhelming personal statistics, Hofmann will likely be remembered as the rock for the program which has gone 36-5 over the last three seasons, winning three CCS titles, a CIF NorCal title (beating Sutter in this year’s 3-A game), and back-to-back championships in the Peninsula Athletic League. Yes, he accumulated a whopping 3,971 yards and 71 touchdowns from scrimmage over the last two years, but he also showed the ability to lead his team to the mountain-top, time and time again.

For all his success this season, and over the last three years, we are pleased to honor Chase Hofmann as our Prep2Prep Central Coast Section Senior of the Year.

Other players considered include Serra’s Patrick Nunn, Serra’s Atonio Mafi, and St. Francis’ Tyler Manoa.