Aberdeen senior Chris Hoffman, who came to the wrestling mats as a high school freshman and went on to become the winningest wrestler in school history, has accepted a scholarship from American International.

"I've signed them [the papers] and we're mailing them tomorrow [Tuesday]," said Hoffman, who won 142 matches for the Aberdeen Eagles and placed third in the 119-pound class each of the past two years in the 3A-4A state tournament.

"I visited the school and I just loved everything about it," he said.

Hoffman has a 3.2 grade-point-average and plans to study criminal justice. He said one of the most appealing aspects of the Massachusetts school, besides the campus facilities and the people, was the fact the school offers a strong tutoring program.

"I'm going to do very well there," said Hoffman. "They have everything in place."

As for wrestling, Hoffman said that while he started participating in the sport relatively late, it came naturally to him.

"I was good at it from the beginning," he said. "And then I worked hard at it all year long. The sport pushed me to be tough and get better."

Aberdeen coach Craig Rollins said Hoffman was recruited from the football team by his predecessor, Dick Slutzky. And noted Hoffman's best trait has been his willingness to "bust his tail. He worked hard in season and out," said Rollins. "He has the character and inner drive to succeed."