Youtz
Keith Youtz will be retiring after this school year from Lackawanna Trail Junior Senior High School. He has taught mathematics for 33.5 years. He started teaching at Lackawanna Trail School in January 1990 as a mathematics teacher, teaching geometry to grades 9 to 12.
He will also resign as the head wrestling and cross-country coach and assistant coach for track and field.
He has been a wrestling coach for 36 years at a few schools, 24 of those years at Lackawanna Trail, 3 as an assistant to Ron Evans and 21 years as head coach.
He graduated from Hershey High School in 1982 and from Bloomsburg University in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics secondary education. He continued his education and earned a master’s degree in education from Wilkes College in 1996.
Youtz wrestled at Hershey High School where he had a record of 87-10-1. He placed second in Class 3A states. He also wrestled at Bloomsburg University on a full scholarship. His freshman season ended when he got an injury. He’d wrestle 10 to 15 matches in his next three seasons.
His teaching career started at Upper Dauphin where he taught from January 1987 until June 1987. He then took a position at South Hagerstown, Maryland, as a high school math teacher and head wrestling coach for the 1987 to 1988 school year.
He has coached at Southern Columbia, Upper Dauphin, South Hagerstown, Scranton Prep, Tunkhannock, Abington Heights and Lackawanna Trail.
Youtz first started coaching wrestling at Southern Columbia. Jerry Marks was his drilling and partner who ended up as state champion that year. He also helped Mark McClafferty from Bishop O’Hara win a state title. He has gone onto coach many district champions, regional place winners and state place winners.
He coached Keith Gavin who placed third and fifth in states and went on to wrestle for Division 1 at Pittsburgh, where he won a national championship. He was an Olympian alternate. He is now the head coach at Pittsburgh.
“I remember when I first started at Lackawanna Trail, we were losing to Athens 32 to 0. We started to win some matches and it started getting closer. We won the match 35 to 32. I believe I jumped up and was on the mat. The head coach at the time, Ron Evans came over to me and said ‘son you need to get off the mat.’”
His wrestling teams throughout the years have won Lackawanna League and NCAA championships and several District 12 and District 2 titles. He coached numerous wrestlers who won 100 career matches. During the 2023 season, there were a six wrestlers win their 100 career victories. There was a record qualify for states and two state place winners.
Mike Bluhm is the assistant coach and Chaz Ross a volunteer coach.
Ethan Lee has wrestled for 14 years. He has wrestled for Youtz from his freshman to senior year at Lackawanna Trail.
He has 100 wins, is a two-time district champion, is a two-time runner up in districts and a two-time regional place finisher. He has twice gone to states with the team.
“My best memory from wrestling at Lackawanna Trail was winning the District 2 team duals my junior year. The whole team got to go to Hershey to wrestle at the state level. Being able to wrestle at such a high level with all my teammates was an incredible experience. Mr. Youtz and I have a great relationship both on and off the mat. He was my math teacher freshman year and has coached me throughout my varsity career, I can’t say enough good things about Mr. Youtz and his coaching skills. He knows more about wrestling than anyone I know and has helped me become a wrestler in numerous ways. He has had an impressive coaching career to say the least. I am extremely lucky to have had him as a coach and I am grateful for everything he has done for me,” Lee said.
He will continue his education at Penn State Scranton campus.
“When I was at Abington Heights, I coached Evan Craig who has the most wins in District 2 history. He was eighth, second and placed first twice in the Class 3A state tournament. My best memory was when he finished his 50-0 season with all falls at the state tournament. During his senior season, there were only three wrestlers all season that he wrestled and didn’t pin.” said Youtz
Youtz has coached cross country for 34 seasons at Lackawanna Trail and Abington Heights. He had many state qualifiers and team championships. His assistant coach for the past several years is Jeff Marx.
“My favorite memory of coaching cross country was the 2022 District 2 meet. We ended up second as a boys team which qualified for states and had a girl qualify for states also. The runners were covered with mud by the time they made it to the finish line,” he said.
“In track, if I had to pick one individual, it would have to watching Lauren Ellsworth practicing and competing. She was one of the toughest, hardworking athletes that I coached at Lackawanna Trail. After saying that I’d place Nathan Petula in the same category,” he said.
He is the son of Diane Youtz who lives in Hershey and the late Kenneth Youtz.
He has been married for 37 years to Sue Fayocavitz Youtz. They have a son Cory, who lives at Harveys Lake, and a daughter Chelsea, who lives in Nanticoke.
They have a granddaughter Olivia May who is 4.
“I enjoy working with young adults. They give me energy most of the time. My advice for someone starting on their coaching career in wrestling, cross country or track, is to set up a routine (drills) that are beneficial to athletics. They need some discipline but not in a way to make them hate sport. I try to motivate the athletes in positive ways.”
He enjoys trout fishing, hunting, kayaking, hiking and gardening.
After retirement, he plans on coaching in some capacity either as an assistant or volunteer.
