West York Wrestling

 



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WEST YORK WRESTLING


FEATURE PAGE

1965 PIAA State
112lb.Champion
Dana Luckenbaugh
(56-6-1) WY Career Record
 

                             GAMETIMEPA.com  Throwback Thursday
                               West York Wrestling's success can be traced back to a 1965 state championship
                                                                            
by Steve Navaroli  8/27/14

                   In 1969, West York had a pair of PIAA wrestling champions in John Sprenkle (Hwt.)
         and Bill Luckenbaugh (127). 
In fact, that championship closed Sprenkle's stellar career with a 55-6
         record and Luckenbaugh went on to star on the mat at East Stroudsburg, where he won both PSAC

         and NCAA Division II titles in 1974.

                   But the example of what was possible was set when Luckenbaugh's brother, Dana Luckenbaugh,
         earned the first-ever PIAA championship won by a then-YCIAA (now YAIAA) wrestler.  Dana
         Luckenbaugh topped former state champ Bill Welker of Shamokin High School, 4-3, in the 112-pound
         final.  Sprenkle said that, and the entire 1965 West York squad, showed his team how to be successful.


                   "I was blessed and fortunate to be on some great teams at West York," said Sprenkle, who was
         also a football star for the Bulldogs.  "That '65 team was an awesome one.  (John) Toggas was a
         phenomenal coach."  It capped an amazing three-year run for West York which won the YCIAA team
         championship from 1963 to 1965, amazingly with three head coaches: Bob Brown, Ken Ober and Toggas.

                   Dana Luckenbaugh was a three-time YCIAA sectional champ.  Teammate Darryl "Smokey"
         Dennis (120 pounds), won two sectional titles.  Several years later, his brother, Bill, followed by Neil
         Bupp, Kevin McCleary and Donald Lehman would go on to become the school's other three-time

         section title winners.

                   Sprenkle recalled seeing Dana Luckenbaugh when kids would go to the former A. H. Martin
         Elementary School and "roll out the horsehair" wrestling mats under the watchful eye of coach
         Don Strausbaugh.  "(Strausbaugh) could never keep Dana in the wrestling room.   He always wanted to
         be up in the gym shooting baskets," Sprenkle laughed.  "Everything to him came natural.  He didn't have
         to work as hard as Bill and I did."

                   But Dana Luckenbaugh, who posted a 56-6-1 record as a high school grappler, was one of a kind.
         Just ask Charlie Jacobs, who wrestled at rival Dover during the same time period.  "He was very strong,
         he never panicked," Jacobs said.  "He used to read the comics before the matches.  Nothing excited Dana.
         He had extremely long arms and thick hands. When he put a tight waist on you, you knew it.
         He was very tough."                  Steve Navaroli YDR Article 8/27/14


  STEVE NAVAROLI
Reach Steve Navaroli at 717-817-3432 or
navarolienterprises@gmail.com


P.O. Box 365
Dallastown, PA 17313

877-657-2539 or navarolienterprises.com

 

www.westyorkwrestlingalumni.com




York, PA's 1st PIAA State Wrestling Champion!
1965 PIAA State 112lb. Championship Finals...

▪ Shamokin High School's Bill Welker (top) rides West York's 112lb.
      Dana Luckenbaugh.  Luckenbaugh secured a riding time point in the final
   period to gain a 4-3 win and become West York's
first state champion!
Dana Luckenbaugh dec. Sam Imler (Bedford) 17-6 in the semi-finals.
▪ photo submitted by Dr. Bill Welker
 

   1965 - Charlie Frey... Sunday Patriot News Sports Writer
            @ 112lbs. DANA LUCKENBAUGH, the senior from West York who reads
   comic books to relax between bouts, scored his 112-pound victory by
   holding Shamokin's Bill Welker down throughout the third period to build
   up riding time for his 4-3 victory.  Welker, who was the PIAA 95-pound
   champ two years ago, scored a takedown with 31 seconds to go in the
   first period.  Luckenbaugh (21-0-1), immediately took him down for a 3-2
   lead.  Seventeen seconds later, Welker escaped to tie it up at 3-3.  Welker
   couldn't get away from Luckenbaugh in the third period and the West Yorker had
   1:22 riding time for the 4-3 win.  Dana Luckenbaugh, the well-built West York
   matman captured the 112-pound crown with a 4-3 victory.  Dana, the 17-year-
   old, was the first schoolboy wrestler in York County history to win a PIAA crown.
   "I'm telling you," Dana said, "this is a great feeling.  I got away a little slow, but
   Bill wasn't that strong that I couldn't take charge of the situation.  I had to go to
   work in the last period and I think I did all right.  I knew I had to hold him down
   in the final period and I did it."  John Toggas, who coaches Luckenbaugh, was
   overjoyed at Dana's success.  "This kid is tremendous," he said.  "He takes
   everything in stride.  He was nervous before the bout, but you certainly couldn't
   tell it.  He is one of the strongest 112-pounders I have ever coached.  This is the
   second boy I've had here.  When I was at Biglerville I brought Art Miller here in
   1960.  He was a 133-pounder.  He lost in the semi-finals.  Dana is the first boy
   I've coached who went all the way.  This is the greatest."  Luckenbaugh is
   interested in going to a trade school to study electricity.    
1965 SPN Article

        note: Dana Luckenbaugh dec. Sam Imler (Bedford) in the semi-final's 17-6.

 


Dr. Bill Welker
Shamokin's Bill Welker was a 1963 PIAA State Champion @ 95lbs.
and a...1965 PIAA State Runner-up
@ 112lbs.  Bill's brother, Floyd,
was a 1959 PIAA State Champion @ 120lbs.
and a 1960 PIAA State
Runner-up @ 120lbs. for Shamokin High.  The Welker Story...  Here


▪ Welker's tabbed as National Wrestling Sportswriters of the Year HERE!
Please Read - Dr. Bill Welker's "Thoughts on Wrestling!"
Over 600 articles!!
CLICK HERE!




1965 PIAA STATE
Wrestling Championships

www.westyorkwrestlingalumni.com


1965 PIAA State Wrestling Champions
Front (L-R) Bob Hallman (North Penn HS), John Abajace (Trinity),
Dana Luckenbaugh
(West York), Phil Detore (Greensburg-Salem),
Barry Souder  (Mt. Lebanon Area),  Dan Kohlhepp (DuBois Area).
▪ Back (L-R) Francis Michael
(W-B GAR), Charles Houser (Dieruff),
Paul Armstrong (Steel-High HS), Mike Gudiness (Mt. Lebanon),
Joe Yerg
(State College HS), Robert Funk (Manheim Township).

View the...  ▪ York County PIAA State Champions


1964-65 West York Wrestling Team
 
 ▪ '65 YCIAA Mat League Wrestling Champions
▪ YCIAA Sectional Tourney Team Champions!

∙ Front Row (L-R)
Jeff Linebaugh, Gary Carbaugh, Dana Luckenbaugh,
Darryl Dennis, Burton Snyder, Steve Kunkle, Tom DeLong.
∙ Back
(L-R) Head Coach John Toggas, Jack Hershberger, Don Narber,
Fred Lehman,
Charles Bostic, Gary Narber, William Wiehe.




"The Luckenbaugh's"
WY's Bill Luckenbaugh (1969 PIAA Champ),
WY's Dana Luckenbaugh (1965 PIAA Champ)...
and their proud father, Paul @ Penn State's Rec Hall ... after Bill's
PIAA State Wrestling
127lb. Championship in 1969 for West York!
PIAA STATE WRESTLING QUALIFIERS (78)



York, PA's PIAA State Wrestling Champions


1983 PIAA District III Hall of Fame Induction
(L-R) WY's
Dana Luckenbaugh & Coach John T. Toggas.



PIAA Finals '38-'73   PIAA Finals '74-'10 A/AAA   PIAA Finals '74-'10 B/AA
 


     Looking Back @ 1965 West York Wrestling History
!
                            Spring Grove & West York Share Title!
                                            1965 February...York Dispatch Article
         The York County Interscholastic Wrestling League 1964-65 season ended last night
    with Spring Grove and West York both winning to complete their schedules
tied for first place.


         Since playoff matches are banned by the league the two will be named co-champions.
    Last year (1963-64) West York won the title outright but was upset by South Western this
    season after beating Spring Grove which won all its other contests.  West York won nine of the
    twelve bouts to whip Hanover 33-13 before a large turnout at the West York gym last night.
                                                   (February 1965)  
@ West York High School

                                      95lbs. - Jeff Linebaugh (WY) pinned Ed Orewiler (H) 2:27.
                               
    103lbs. - Gary Carbaugh (WY) dec. Jay Garrett (H) 5-3.
                                    112lbs. - Dana Luckenbaugh (WY) pinned Gary Stottlemyer 2:21.
                                    120lbs. - Darryl Dennis (WY) dec. Gary Wentz (H) 7-3.
                                    127lbs. - Rich Maus (H) pinned Burton Snyder (WY) 5:30.
                                    133lbs. - Steve Kunkle (WY) dec. John Dubs (H) 7-2.
                                    138lbs. - Tom DeLong (WY) dec. Rodney Naugle (H) 11-7.
                                    145lbs. - Don Abel (H) dec. Jack Hershberger (WY) 4-0.
                                    154lbs. - Don Narber (WY) dec. Dave Gass (H) 8-0.
                                    165lbs. - *Brian Cashman (H) pinned Glenn Billet (WY) 4:57.
                                    180lbs. - Charles Bostic (WY) pinned Bill Zacharias (H) 3:55.
                                           Unl. - Gary Narber (WY) dec. Don Lau (H) 6-0.

                                    (* @ 165lbs. - WY's Fred Lehman out of lineup due to illness)

                           1964-65 WY Wrestling Team
                       
                          1964-65 - YCIAA League Wrestling Co-Champions!
                          1965 YCIAA Sectional II Team Tourney Champions
                             ▪ Front Row (L-R)
Jeff Linebaugh, Gary Carbaugh, Dana Luckenbaugh,
                             Darryl "Smokey" Dennis, Burton Snyder, Steve Kunkle & Tom DeLong.
                             Back (L-R) WY Coach John T. Toggas, Jack Hershberger, Don Narber,
                             Fred Lehman, Charles "Chuck" Bostic, Gary Narber & William Wiehe.
                             1965 YCIAA Sectional II Champions WY - (Jeff Linebaugh, Gary Carbaugh,
                             Dana Luckenbaugh, Darryl Dennis, Tom DeLong, Chuck Bostic & Gary Narber)

                                                                     WEST YORK AREA
                                                           Junior High Wrestling
                                                                          1964-65

                                   
                        1964-65 West York Area Junior High School Wrestling
                                  (1st Row) - R. Senft, D. Kearns, Bill Luckenbaugh, Jack Kunkle,
                                       Charles Schrum, Jeff DeLong, M. Naill.
                                  (2nd Row) - WYJH Coach Whedon Myers, Ed Mummert, Mark Kuntz,
                                       Bill Bates, Daison Shouck, Glen Eby, Dan Kinard,
WYJH Coach Bob Bowers.
                                  (3rd Row) - R. Peters, Fred Schenck, Tony Avola, D. Beck, John Sprenkle,
                                       Danny Dixon, Bob King.
                                  (4th Row) - L. Miller, Jack Martin, R. Strausbaugh, Ken Shaffer, Dan Mundis,
                                       Rich Newcomer, D. Williams, J. Grove.

                                  (5th Row) - Patrick Stough.


                               www.westyorkwrestlingalumni.com
 

                    1965 PIAA State Wrestling Championships
                                                
                          1965 PIAA State 112lb. Championship Finals
           ▪ Shamokin High School's Bill Welker (top)... rides West York HS's 112lb.
           Dana Luckenbaugh.  Luckenbaugh secured a riding time point in the final
           period to gain a 4-3 dec. and become West York's 1st state champion!!

   1965 - Charlie Frey... Sunday Patriot News Sports Writer
            @ 112lbs. DANA LUCKENBAUGH, the senior from West York who reads
   comic books to relax between bouts, scored his 112-pound victory by
   holding Shamokin's Bill Welker down throughout the third period to build
   up riding time for his 4-3 victory.  Welker, who was the PIAA 95-pound
   champ two years ago, scored a takedown with 31 seconds to go in the
   first period.  Luckenbaugh (21-0-1), immediately took him down for a 3-2
   lead.  Seventeen seconds later, Welker escaped to tie it up at 3-3.  Welker
   couldn't get away from Luckenbaugh in the third period and the West Yorker had
   1:22 riding time for the 4-3 win.  Dana Luckenbaugh, the well-built West York
   matman captured the 112-pound crown with a 4-3 victory.  Dana, the 17-year-
   old, was the
first schoolboy wrestler in York County history to win a PIAA crown.
   "I'm telling you," Dana said, "this is a great feeling.  I got away a little slow, but
   Bill wasn't that strong that I couldn't take charge of the situation.  I had to go to
   work in the last period and I think I did all right.  I knew I had to hold him down
   in the final period and I did it."  John Toggas, who coaches Luckenbaugh, was
   overjoyed at Dana's success.  "This kid is tremendous," he said.  "He takes
   everything in stride.  He was nervous before the bout, but you certainly couldn't
   tell it.  He is one of the strongest 112-pounders I have ever coached.  This is the
   second boy I've had here.  When I was at Biglerville I brought Art Miller here in
   1960.  He was a 133-pounder.  He lost in the semi-finals.  Dana is the first boy
   I've coached who went all the way.  This is the greatest."  Luckenbaugh is
   interested in going to a trade school to study electricity.

   note: Dana Luckenbaugh dec. Sam Imler (Bedford) in the PIAA semi-final's 17-6.

                       
                             1965 PIAA State Wrestling Champions
   ▪ Front (L-R) Bob Hallman 95lbs. (North Penn), John Abajace 103lbs. (Trinity HS),
 Dana Luckenbaugh 112lbs.
(West York), Phil Detore 120lbs. (Greensburg-Salem),
 Barry Souder 127lbs. (Mt. Lebanon HS),  Daniel Kohlhepp 133lbs. (DuBois Area).
   ▪ Back
 
(L-R) Francis Michael 138lbs. (W-B GAR), Charles Houser 145lbs. (Dieruff),
 Paul Armstrong 154lbs. (Steel-High HS), Mike Gudiness 165lbs. (Mt. Lebanon),
 Joe Yerg 180lbs. (State College HS), Robert Funk Hwt. (Manheim Township).

 

More... @ Charlie's 60's Page
 
West York Wrestling
3-Time Sectional YCIAA Champions
Section Years WY Coach
  *Dana Luckenbaugh 1963, 1964, 1965 Brown, Ober, Toggas
  Bill Luckenbaugh 1967, 1968, 1969 John T. Toggas
  *Neil Bupp 1970, 1971, 1972 John T. Toggas
  Kevin McCleary 1971, 1972, 1973 John T. Toggas
  Don Lehman 1971, 1972, 1973 John T. Toggas
  *Chad Luckenbaugh 1994, 1995, 1997 Bill Luckenbaugh
     

*Neil Bupp's '70 YCIAA Section title was with Northeastern HS.
*Dana Luckenbaugh's '63 coach was - Bob Brown...
64 coach was - Dr. Ken Ober... & '65 coach was - JT Toggas.
*Chad Luckenbaugh's Sectional Years were YAIAA.
 

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