West York Wrestling
 Former West York Head Wrestling Coach John T. Toggas 
John T. Toggas... National
Wrestling Hall of Fame - 1999.Bio... John can trace his successful wrestling career to the basketball court, when York High coach Don Cockley cut him from the boys basketball team. The rest, as they say, is history as John T. Toggas truly found his calling in the wrestling room. Toggas was a varsity wrestler at 133 pounds in both his junior and senior seasons at York High. After graduating from York High School in 1951 (where he was a three-sport athlete), he earned his Bachelor's degree from Gettysburg College in 1958 and eventually got his Master's Degree in Education from Western Maryland University in 1971. He began his coaching career at Biglerville High School in 1958 and remained there until 1964, when he moved to West York High School. Toggas started the elementary at Biglerville and his high school teams were 38-32-2. Toggas also founded the elementary program at West York and amassed a record of 269-78-2 at West York Area High School during two stints as head coach, from 1964-1983 and from 1986-1992. His overall Big/WY coaching record is 307-110-4 in 31 years, and he was the first York area high school coach to eclipse the 300-win mark. Some of his accomplishments include 6 York County Interscholastic Athletic Association league team titles, YCIAA Coach of the Year honors in 1972 and 1978, and 3 PIAA State Champions. Toggas also produced 6 Sectional team titles, 83 Sectional Champions, 12 District III Champions, 12 Regional Champions and 18 PIAA tournament qualifiers, including *5 - PIAA State semi-finalists and *2 silver medalists, in addition to his three PIAA Champions. One of his main goals with his wrestlers... was to see them go on to college and secure a degree! Another milestone was coaching the 1st PIAA State Wrestling Champion in the history of York, PA - Dana Luckenbaugh, in 1965 @ 112lbs. Dana's younger brother, Bill, went on to claim the 1969 PIAA 127lb. title! * PIAA State semi-finalists (Art Miller, Biglerville; Bill Luckenbaugh, WY; John Sprenkle, WY); Mike Stambaugh, WY; Jeff Meckley, WY. * PIAA State runner-ups (Bill Luckenbaugh, West York - '68 & Jeff Meckley, West York - '75). John was inducted into the District III Wrestling Coaches Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980, was given a 25-year Service Award by the National Wrestling Coaches Association in 1984, received the Leadership Award presented by the West York Area School District in 1993 and was inducted into the York Area Sports Hall of Fame for Outstanding Sports Achievement in 1995. John T. Toggas also served as a high school official and was a member of the NCAA Rules Committee as a High School Representative. Among his most treasured accomplishments was being inducted into the Pennsylvania State Wrestling Coaches (PWCA) Hall of Fame at the state finals in Hershey in 1992. "I think my biggest thrill I ever got coaching high school was when I got elected into the PWCA State Hall of Fame and having my two kids... Stephanie & John S. "Moc" present me with the 1992 PWCA Hall of Fame Award." More proud?!? - Coach JT's wife Mary Jane!! His late son, John S. "Moc" Toggas, was the head wrestling coach at Parkland High School. note: son - John S. "Moc" Toggas was inducted into the 2010 PWCA Hall of Fame. |
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