11/18/76 Article

      ▪ Coach John Toggas is "looking for a good year" as he embarks on his 19th season of coaching,
 the 13th at the helm of West York High wrestling.

    Coming off a 12-2 record last year, good enough for a second-place tie in the YCIAA league, Toggas'
 optimism is supported by the return of ten lettermen from his squad of a year ago.  Coach Toggas'
 overall record as a coach is 176-58-2 and at West York is 141-23.

    Toggas says the team's strength will be in the light and the heavier classes.  Efforts are being directed
 toward bolstering the team in the middle weights where depth and experience is lacking.

    The ten letter winners are equally divided among seniors and juniors.  Bill Pope, 105; Chuck Nace, 119;
 Todd Reynolds, 126; Steve Toggas, 132, and John Reiber, 185, are the seniors.  Bob Gay, 112; Dave Heist,
 138, and Scott Silar, 138, are other seniors.

    Among the 16 junior candidates are these five letter winners:  Bruce Stambaugh, 138; Perry Tallman,
 heavyweight; Ken Shorts, 112; Larry Gay, 126, and Brett Spangler, 145.  Other juniors are:  Rod Stough,
 98; Barry Gay, 132; Lynn Martin, 138; Terry Weaver, 132; Dave Stram, 155; Randy Blasdell, 185; Mitch
 Bupp, 132; Dave Knipple, 98; Pat Brown, 98, and Jim Lichty, 105.

    Two outstanding junior high matmen head the 14 sophomores striving to make the team.  They are
 Scott Luckenbaugh, 165, and Van Emig, 98.  Other sophs are:  Don Botterbusch, 112; Mark Harrington,
 132; Kevin Harrold, 167; Steve Monteith, 132; Marty Szala, 126; Ken Duncan, 105; Dennis Heath, 112;
 Clyde Poe, 126; Todd Bentzel, 132; Bill Stafford, 185; Mike Contino, 132, and Dave Hamm, 145.

    John Sprenkle and Mike Young will be assisting Toggas with the coaching chores this season.
 The Bulldogs open their YCIAA schedule hosting Central High on Dec. 9.
 

11/30/77 Article

      ▪ The reining co-champions in any sport always makes for an inviting target for all competition, but
 the West York wrestlers of Coach John Toggas are conceding nothing to the opposition as they prep
 for their title defense.

    Supporting this Bulldog-like attitude is the return of nine lettermen who helped compile last year's
 13-1 record, good enough for a share of the title.

    Leading this array of talent are Rod Stough (105lbs. and unbeaten in dual meets last year) and Ken
 Shorts (119lbs. and unbeaten in dual meets last year)... during which both were named all-county.

    Senior letter winners also include:  Bruce Stambaugh (155lbs. who was 10-2-2 last season), Dave
 Stram (167lbs. and a sectional runner-up last year), heavyweight Perry Tallman and identical twins
 Barry and Larry Gay (138lbs. and 132lbs.).   (note: Randy Blasdell was also a 1976-77 letter winner)

    Rounding out the letter-wearers is the talented junior, Mark Harrington.

    If these statistics aren't enough to make the opposition apprehensive, add the fact that the junior
 varsity "Pups" are on a 34 match winning streak.

    Coach Toggas also mentioned senior Mitch Bupp (155lbs.) and sophomore John Silar (126lbs.) as
 having been outstanding in preseason drills.  Other candidates on the 34-man squad are:

    Seniors - Pat Brown, Terry Hoskins, Lynn Martin and Terry Weaver.
    Juniors - Mike Boney, Paul Bievenour, Don Botterbusch, Matt Callahan, Lynn Conaway, Van Emig,
 Steve Monteith, Clyde Poe and Scott Luckenbaugh.
    Sophomores - Rick Castle, Dennis Heath, Steve Lookingbill, Les Martin, Duane March, Dave
 Mergenthaler, Joel Pugh, Tom Tallman, Mike Thompson and Charles Green.

    Toggas is being assisted by John W. Sprenkle as the Bulldogs get ready to entertain Red Lion on
 December 15, 1977.  (note: Don Lehman, WY '73, joined the coaching staff on 1/2/78)

11/18/78 Article

      ▪ "Simply stated, we will have a squad of good wrestlers, well-rounded in the basics and lacking
 only experience." is Coach John Toggas' analysis of his West York wrestlers who will defend the YCIAA
 championship this season.

    Toggas explained, "We've been up for a long time, taking the title four seasons ago, sharing it two years
 back and winning it unbeaten last year largely with 13 seniors.  They are gone now and with them went
 most of our experience.  However, we have some of the finest sophomore candidates ever and our squad
 will have very few seniors."

    The squad will need the experience of varsity competition and will get it this year.  How fast that
 experience is absorbed is the key to another West York title.

    "I can't predict a third straight championship but I feel assured we will be competitive," Toggas added.
 
    Last year's title squad was led by 112-pounder Ken Shorts, District 3 champion.  In fact, Shorts was the
 only YCIAA Class AAA matman to earn a District crown last season.  "Shorts was a District champion and
 we certainly will miss him but we will also miss the likes of Larry/Barry Gay, Rod Stough, Randy Blasdell,
 Dave Stram, Perry Tallman, and the other departed seniors," Toggas lamented.

    Returning wrestlers who saw much action last year and contributed valuable dual meet triumphs to the
 Blue and White included juniors Joel Pugh, 98lbs., Dennis Heath, 132lbs., and John Silar, 119lbs.
 However, the makeup of the squad at this stage is vague since practice has been underway only a few
 days.  "We began our drills a week later than permitted," Toggas revealed, "because our first meet
 against LL champion, Warwick, is not until December 14, and we didn't want the wrestlers to lost their
 edge or their enthusiasm practicing more than five weeks without outside competition.  And we also
 wanted to afford our football players a chance to knock off before jumping from one sport to another."

    Included on the Bulldog schedule is a one-day Holiday meet at Council Rock, Dec. 18, involving both
 varsity and JV wrestlers.  "It's a class meet," Toggas declared, "and we are pleased to have been invited."
 This will be Toggas' 16th year as head West York coach, 21st in his career.  He again will be assisted by
 Don Lehman and John Sprenkle with the Senior High squad while Mike Young will handle the Junior High.

    West York has a long wrestling tradition and pioneered the sport in York County.  The Bulldogs have won
 or shared the YCIAA championship seven times producing many District and several PIAA State
 titleholders and, undoubtedly, as Toggas believes, will be competitive once again.

    Another interpretation is that West York does not expect to yield its championship without the rest of
 the league first having to prove they are better than the Bulldogs.