Lehighton head tennis coach Andrew Hozza was both elated and not surprised that Bekim Cokrlija earned the Times News/Lehigh Valley Heath Network Tennis Player of the Year Award.

That’s because he saw Cokrlija raise his game on and off the court.

“That’s awesome, and I’m excited that he earned that achievement,” beamed Hozza. “Bekim was the leader of the team and took the role naturally to make sure that everyone was working hard during practices and giving it their all during matches. He cheered everyone on and also gave them tremendous advice.”

Cokrlija advanced to the semifinals of the District 11 Class 2A tournament, and paired with Jed Cordes to reach the same level in the doubles bracket.

The team’s No. 1 singles player, Cokrlija finished with an overall 12-2 record, and placed second for first singles in the Colonial League championships.

After his older brother Bayto — who won the award last season — moved on, the younger Cokrlija knew he had to carry the torch.

Bekim followed Bayto’s trail, as Bayto was the newspaper’s consecutive Player-of-the-Year award winner the previous two seasons.

The elder Cokrlija, who was on Kutztown University’s team this year, was elated for his brother’s honor — as well as keeping the honor on the same path.

“I was proud of him when I heard he won the award,” said Bayto. “I also was proud that he kept the year-after-year-after-year streak going. It was good to see him get the award.”

The younger Cokrlija saw his role expand this season.

“My role on the team this year was definitely bigger,” explained Cokrlija. “I had higher expectations from my family and friends, and I had high expectations for myself.”

Cokrlija set the bar high for himself.

“There was definitely pressure going into the season since I wanted to go undefeated and make it far in leagues and districts,” said Cokrlija. “Even though my goals weren’t met, I had an amazing senior season by making memories with different players from all over the area.”

Cokrlija believed he kept his game at a steady pace and worked to improve one primary aspect of it. He cited a 6-0, 6-2 win over Southern Lehigh’s Saam Bozorgnia on April 1 as the pinnacle of his season. His win was Lehighton’s only one that day in a 4-1 defeat.

“I think I was playing my best tennis in the middle of the season,” said Cokrlija. “My best match of the season was when I played Southern Lehigh. I made quick work of my opponent, and was very confident with every shot I hit.

“My backhand was the main concern going into the season, and it absolutely improved throughout the season and into the postseason. I really worked with my coach during drills to get closer to my goal.”

Hozza saw a somewhat similar picture, and watched his game come full circle.

He was proud of Cokrlija’s demeanor and approach, and those qualities were consistently confirmed match after match.

“He elevated his play throughout the year, and played his best tennis at the most critical parts of the season and throughout the postseason,” said Hozza.

“I think earning the Colonial League Sportsmanship award and medaling in both the singles and doubles districts speak for themselves, but I also found it impressive when nearly all the opposing coaches went out of their way to tell me how respectful and professional Bekim was during every single match he played in.

“Hearing those comments from the other coaches shows how mature he was throughout the season.”

Cokrlija viewed his tennis time on an overall upward spiral.

He will attend Penn State-Hazleton in the fall and continue his career playing tennis with the Valley Royale Tennis club.

“My career went almost as expected since I became an impactful player during my freshman year and continued to improve throughout my career,” said Cokrlija. “The only thing that I wanted in the end was to go to states and compete against some of the best competition in the state.

“Even though I didn’t achieve my goal, I never regretted anything I did and will forever cherish the memories I made.”

Hozza was grateful for Cokrlija’s contributions, as well as his impact on the program.

“Bekim came into this season in a leadership role,” said Hozza. “He excelled in it, and he helped to build a stronger future for Lehighton Tennis.”