BAY CITY, MI – The glory days of Bay Metropolis Central soccer had been constructed round guys who had been robust, scrappy, avid gamers. Guys who knew the game and liked the competitors.
Guys like Jerry Toyzan.
Toyzan helped craft the Central soccer custom, first as a participant, then as a 33-year coach, making a wide-ranging, long-lasting affect. On Might 7, Toyzan died on the age of 92.
A math trainer at his alma mater for many of his 36 years as an educator, Toyzan was a fixture within the teaching circles for the Wolves, earning induction to the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
He guided Central baseball as head coach from 1967-81, main the group to a 125-164 document and profitable this system’s first district championship in 1977. Toyzan additionally served as a longtime freshman and junior varsity coach for the boys basketball program.
However soccer – and being a pivotal a part of that famed Central powerhouse – might have been his biggest sports activities achievement.
Toyzan was the point of interest of the offense on legendary coach Elmer Engel’s first groups, regardless of being one of many smallest gamers on the sphere. The tough-nosed halfback led town in scoring and earned all-Saginaw Valley League and honorable point out All-State as a senior in 1951. He additionally starred in baseball, the place he helped Central to the 1952 SVL title, and basketball.
Former Bay Metropolis Central three-sport athlete and three-sport coach Jerry Toyzan was inducted into the Bay County Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 2017.MLive.com
He went on to play 4 seasons of soccer and baseball at Central Michigan College earlier than returning to Bay Metropolis Central, launching a educating and training profession that may make him one of the vital acquainted faces on the Columbus Avenue campus for practically 4 a long time.
As freshman coach underneath Engel, Toyzan supplied an introduction to Central soccer for wave after wave of fresh-faced gamers trying to play their half within the highly effective program. The Wolves would seize 5 state championships underneath Engel, and practically all of these varsity gamers first discovered the ropes from Toyzan.
“I took a whole lot of delight in that,” Toyzan stated in a 2017 Bay Metropolis Occasions story. “After they left me, they needed to know what they had been imagined to do. It wasn’t in regards to the wins and losses, it was about creating gamers and ensuring they knew the best strategies for his or her abilities. That was my job.”
Toyzan moved to junior varsity coach underneath Oarie Lemanski in 1973 and to varsity assistant underneath Lyn TerBush in 1983.
Toyzan is survived by sons Michael and Todd. He was predeceased by spouse Mary Alice, son Patrick and daughter Daybreak.
A funeral is deliberate for 1 p.m. Saturday at Hyatt Ewald Funeral Dwelling, 700 North Monroe Avenue in Bay Metropolis. Visitation is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
