A Former Wolverine Grew Up to be a Beaver
Jan 28, 2016 09:03AM ● By Bryan Scott
By Greg James | [email protected]
West Valley - Hunter High School graduate Noah Togiai has taken his talents 789 miles from his hometown of West Valley City. As a two-sport athlete, he now makes his home in Corvallis, Ore.
The former Wolverine was heavily recruited out of high school. At one point, it was rumored that he was headed to the University of Utah, but he changed his mind and is now six months into his freshman year at Oregon State University.
His boys basketball teammates and coaches at Hunter High School miss his leadership and ability.
“Noah was our go to guy. Not necessarily to score every time, but he would make the right play. He always had a swagger about him. We would be headed into a big game and he would grab my sleeve and tell me we are going to be okay,” Hunter basketball head coach Rob Collins said.
Togiai has yet to make an impact for the Beavers at Gill Coliseum (Beavers basketball home court). He joined the team shortly after finishing his football commitment in December. He has appeared in one game, playing only two minutes and grabbed one rebound.
As part of the Beavers football team, the 6’4”, 214 lbs. freshman caught 10 passes for 73 yards and one touchdown. His only touchdown reception came with four minutes remaining in the third quarter of the Beavers 54-24 loss to California.
“It was a great moment to catch my first touchdown, a dream come true,” Togiai said.
His first collegiate catch came in the team’s third game of the season against San Jose State.
The Beavers football team finished their 2015 season 2-10.
Togiai was ranked as the 39th best tight end in the country after his senior season at Hunter by scout.com.
He was also an honorable mention 5A tight end at Hunter despite a leg injury. He was rated as a three-star recruit in basketball by scout.com.
Togiai averaged 22.2 points per game his junior and senior basketball seasons for the Wolverines.
“It is obvious what talent Noah has,” former Hunter boys basketball coach Dave Filimoehala said after his sophomore season.
The Wolverines basketball team won its first round state tournament game 53-46 over Weber last season. It was the team’s first postseason victory since its state title in 2004. Togiai scored 22 points and had seven rebounds in the victory.
“Noah was very humble and coachable. I was nervous coming in as his new coach. He had been a three-year starter, and I thought he would expect to roll over me. I took him out of games and tried to teach him. He could have said whatever and shrugged me off, but he didn’t. He worked with me and learned,” Collins said.
