NTL WRESTLING: TOWANDA'S SEXTON BECOMES THE WINNINGEST COACH IN PA HISTORY AFTER KNIGHTS DOWN CENTRAL COLUMBIA (December 23, 2025)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
TOWANDA — For years when Towanda coach Bill Sexton commented on his milestones - 400 wins, 500 wins, 600 wins - he would always say ‘when you coach this long you tend to accumulate these things’. But on Tuesday Sexton felt the weight behind win 768. It wasn’t just about longevity, but about excellence, community, and the people you meet along the way.

“I’m not going to downplay the fact that it’s a significant number, a significant accomplishment,” Sexton said. “There’s been wrestling in the state of Pennsylvania for a long time, and there’s been 70 years of wrestling in our program. I like what I do. I’ve been blessed to be in a community that supports the sport of wrestling, that their children come out to the sport of wrestling, and they participate - our numbers are very good. I’ve been blessed to have tremendous, tremendous assistant coaches, and it all just kind of helps.”

After his team beat Central Columbia 48-27 to become the winningest coach in Pennsylvania Wrestling history Sexton was joined on the mat by the people who helped make it happen. He had his current wrestlers, his former wrestlers, current assistants, many of whom wrestled for him, and his former assistants, who helped him build the program.

Closest to him, though, was his family.

During the ceremony his grandson, Lincoln Sexton, joined him on center stage, or rather, center mat. A little shy at first, but the boy wasn’t going to leave grandpa alone during his big moment.

Soon after his son, Ethan Sexton, along with the rest of his family joined him.

“That meant a lot to me,” said Bill. “My wife, my son, my two grandchildren, my daughter-in-law, they’ve been very supportive of me. My other son lives and works out in Oregon. He couldn’t get home because of his job, but he’ll get here tomorrow.”

For Ethan it was quite the experience growing up with a father who, at the time, was building a legacy both on the wrestling mat, and on the baseball diamond.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Ethan said about seeing his dad reach the milestone. “He’s put in the time, he’s put in the work for almost 50 years, and it’s just really a testament to his hard work, longevity, and his commitment to the program, and the school, and the town.”

He noted it was different, but he never felt any extra pressure because he was the coach’s son.

“He wanted us to work hard, do things the right way, and stilled those values in us, but never put a lot of pressure on us athletically,” said Ethan. “And it was cool being the coach’s son, you know. You got in the wrestling room from a young age, or on the baseball field, so I couldn’t imagine having anyone else for a father.”

Ethan now gets to see his father spend time with his own children, Lincoln and Emma. Bill and Lincoln can frequently be seen manning the sidelines of football games on Friday nights during the fall.

“My grandparents, most of them when I was pretty young, so to be able to have my kids experience this, and for them to know my father, and my mother, too, it’s really important to me, so it’s great that they were both able to be here to witness this.”

As for the people he met along the way, one of the first was long time assistant Steve Gobble, who helped him build the program throughout the 1980’s.

“Longevity is a great thing,” Gobble said. “Bill has been dedicated, and it’s not just so much for wrestling, he’s dedicated to the Towanda School District, and that’s why I admire him so much. I could have never done this, I didn’t ever have that type of stamina to keep coaching at that type of length. There’s been a lot of pieces that he’s really brought together.”

He remembers how they put their stamp on the program.

“I feel like during the early years is when we really started to turn the corner of a more modern type of wrestling,” Gobble said. “We had a really good run together. I think I was an assistant coach for 11 years with him, and we were contenders every year.”

Gobble noted that they had an emphasis on the team.

“We had some fantastic teams,” he remarked. “It’s great to have a state champion, don’t get me wrong, but I feel a lot more satisfaction with the teams we had.”

The fact that Sexton only had one losing season - the Covid year - in his 45 years of coaching is what astounds Gobble the most.

“That’s amazing,” he said.

More people Sexton met along the way were Jeremy Sluyter and Mike Maurer. Those were amongst the best wrestlers in program history, and have joined him as assistant coaches.

Sluyter has known Sexton for the better part of 30 years, and has been a part of the success these last few generations.

“It shows the actual dedication and longevity to the sport that you don’t see in today’s coaches,” Sluyter said. “If you would have asked me 25, 30 years ago when I was in high school, if I thought that it was something that could get attained, I would have said no way, but he kept at it, kept working, kept producing, and put the time in with the kids. We’re all proud of him, and glad that he stuck around, and finally got him.”

Sluyter’s son Rylee was recently honored for earning 100 wins during the Knights of the 100 ceremony before the match, while Reese Sluyter secured the win on the mat with his fall.

The continuity has helped them keep the success going with his kids as it was when he wrestled.

“It wasn’t like you had to come to a new coach, and figure out their system, as far as their coaching style,” said Sluyter. “He’s got a little bit of time left in him, which is good. Maybe he can get a couple more wins added to where he’s at.”

Maurer wrestled for Bill during the 2000’s and has been a part of the coaching staff since he returned to Towanda.

“It’s one of those cool things that I’m never going to forget,” he said. “I’ve been looking at that record for years, it looked like no one was ever going to touch it. And then Towanda had a few really good last four years, and it got close. I was like, ‘man, it’s getting closer and closer.’ It’s one of those things you’re just kind of waiting, and looking, and waiting, and looking, and I just feel overwhelmed. He deserves it, he’s earned every right of it, all the stuff he’s done for the school, all of the stuff he’s done for the program, all he’s done fo rate community, you just feel overwhelmed.”

Maurer noted how Bill was a father figure to him, that his relationship with coach Sexton was more than just wrestling.

“Not necessarily just moves, and stuff like that, but you know how to approach different things, how to approach life,” explained Maurer. “I know he gave me some really good advice. One time I was trying to figure out if I’m going to do something, and he’s like, ‘Mike, I’ve regretted things I haven’t done more than things I’ve done.’ That was one of the things that’s always stuck with me.”

Black Knight AD Jack Young has been around Bill in as many different roles as possible. 

First it was as a student, and wrestler, then as an official, and now as his athletic director who worked furiously behind the scenes to make this match happen despite the weather.

“I was pretty fortunate to have all those connections,” Young remarked. “There were a lot of years that I officiated some big matches for him. You can talk to any wrestling official, and they’ll tel you what kind of coach he is. he’s just a man of class, his character speaks for itself. To achieve this accomplishment I think just speaks volumes of what Towanda is all about, what Towanda wrestling is all about, and this community. Year in and year out their numbers are ridiculous compared to some of the biggest wrestling schools in our state. His character, to me, is what it talks of. It just speaks volumes for our community, and I’m super proud to be from Towanda already.”

As for the moment itself, for Young it was wrestling history being made in real time.

“It’s just a tremendous moment,” said Young. “I mean, Pennsylvania is the great wrestling state there is, so for coach to achieve this from the team aspect of the sport, to me it builds District IV wrestling, and speaks volumes about the community. We had a tremendous crowd, we had three really good dual meets, and coach Sexton’s longevity speak for itself. The banners, and the trophies, and the plaques, they speak volumes, but they don’t even tough on what that man is.”



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