Guiding light: Waynesburg grad Litwinovich makes mark as track coach
Officially, it says Scott Litwinovich is the head track coach at South Fayette High School.
More than coaching track and being an assistant on the Lions鈥� football staff, Litwinovich coaches people 鈥� high school kids 鈥� who not only are looking for success but also a rewarding experience.
鈥淚 try to give our kids as many opportunities as I can to have different experiences,鈥� said Litwinovich, who graduated from Waynesburg Central High School where he was a standout receiver in football and a solid track and field participant.
鈥淭he kids have bought into the program. We give them the chance to have those different experiences and to compete against the best. We try and take the normal and take it to the unexpected.鈥�
Litwinovich made his mark on the South Fayette Track Club with about 180 members. He said current and former track team members coach the younger members of the club and said the program seeks top level competition.
Litwinovich also thinks exposing his team members to other experiences is vital in the continuing development of the program.
In 2018, South Fayette took a spring training trip to Disney World for five days of workouts.
The girls鈥� team traveled to the Oregon Nike Nationals last summer to compete. The Lions鈥� 400-meter relay team placed eighth, the 1,600-meter relay team was 13th and Swedish Relay (a four-person relay, that is also called a Medley Relay and is 1,000 meters in length comprising of four legs in order of 100 meters, 200 meters, 300 meters, and 400 meters) was ninth.
Just weeks ago, the indoor team travelled to New Yok City to compete in the New Balance Nationals at The Armory. The girls鈥� 800-meter team was eighth (the highest finishing public school) while the boys鈥� Distance Medley Relay (DMR) placed 13th.
The South Fayette girls are back-to-back Tri-State Track Coaches Association (TSTCA) champions in the 80-team 鈥淭he WPIAL and Beyond鈥� indoor championships held at Edinboro University.
鈥淲e鈥檝e never had an incident with the booster club,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey keep getting better and better. In addition to those trips, they have (recently) purchased computers for our timing system.鈥�
Joe Winans, the former Lions head track coach and current cross-country coach, said Litwinovich has a unique approach to his head coaching duties, with new ideas and a genuine caring for the kids.
鈥淪cott certainly has a passion for the sport,鈥� said Winans, now an assistant to Litwinovich. 鈥淔irst and foremost, he enjoys coaching. He is always looking to see what is best for the student-athlete.
鈥淐oaching is a process of constantly evolving. You must be willing to adjust and to be engaged. Scott always has the best interest for the team and kids in his thoughts. He always makes sure the program provides our student-athletes several experiences. It provides opportunity to make memories for each kid and the program as a hole.鈥�
One of those 鈥渆xperiences鈥� was the South Fayette girls 400-meter relay team of Amanda Marquis, Melana Schumaker, Olivia Renk and Amy Allen winning the PIAA title last spring.
鈥淪cott is cooperative and just a good guy,鈥� said Howard 鈥淏utch鈥� Brunnell, Litwinovich鈥檚 track and field coach at Waynesburg. 鈥淕etting into track was a natural for him.
鈥淪cott is on our record-holding (at Waynesburg) 4 x 400-meter relay team. He was such a good athlete in track and he seems to be doing a pretty good with the South Fayette program. He鈥檚 a good organizer, spends time working at it and is just a good, positive person.鈥�
While he leads a strong track and field program at South Fayette, Litwinovich also helped build a program as an athlete.
Litwinovich was a key member of a Waynesburg football resurgence in the late 1980s under Coach Jeff Metheny.
In 1986, Waynesburg went from 0-10 to 5-5. Litwinovich didn鈥檛 begin the season as a starter but worked his way into the lineup.
One of the most exciting moments of the season and in Litwinovich鈥檚 Raiders鈥� football career came in Week 8. With just 1:10 remaining in the game and Albert Gallatin clinging to a 21-17 lead, Waynesburg went to work. The Colonials took the lead when Waynesburg鈥檚 Dirk Cole had the ball stripped and returned by Albert Gallatin for a 40-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
With one play left in the game, Raiders鈥� quarterback Curt Brown threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Litwinovich for what now is known as a walk-off TD catch and a 23-21 Waynesburg victory. Earlier in that series, Litwinovich hauled in a 48-yard reception to set up the game-winner.
That play made Litwinovich like football a whole bunch more.
鈥淭hat is something I will never forget,鈥� Litwinovich said. 鈥淒irk was stripped of the ball and they ran it into the end zone.
鈥淲hen I caught that pass and went into the end zone, Cole picked me up in the air and was so happy. They were in straight man coverage and we ran the same play back-to-back. That鈥檚 the play people dream about. The home crowd going crazy. That play just got me hooked. I never thought of not playing again.鈥�
In the 1987 season opener against rival Jefferson-Morgan, Litwinovich caught eight passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns in a 22-19 defeat. Litwinovich finished with 24 receptions for 430 yards and seven touchdowns in a year that saw Waynesburg post a 6-4 record.
In 1988, Litwinovich was an All-District selection as a wide receiver. He helped the Raiders to a 9-1 regular season, losing only to Washington and finishing second in the Century Conference. The Raiders qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 1958.
While they lost to Canevin in the postseason, Litwinovich helped Waynesburg become a winning team again, posting a 9-2 overall record.
鈥淭he first thing is (Scott) is just an absolute wonderful person, who would help anybody out,鈥� said Jeff Metheny, who coached Litwinovich at Waynesburg and coached track and field with him at Bethel Park years later. 鈥淗e works extra hard; he鈥檚 really dedicated to anything he is involved with. I鈥檓 proud to say, that I may have had a little bit to do with that. Scott has done great things. He鈥檚 a great parent. He鈥檚 a good husband and father. Scott鈥檚 just a quality man and he鈥檚 done a heck of a job with the South Fayette track program.
鈥淚n helping to make our program at Waynesburg better, we threw a lot of passes to him and he made a lot of big plays. He was an excellent player for us, right at the top. Scott was a big part of turning the program around. Waynesburg was down when I took the job and we were 0-10 my first season.鈥�
Jason Lohr, a life-long friend of Litwinovich, said his friend鈥檚 speed and ability to make big plays is what stood out.
鈥淲e were best friends growing up,鈥� Lohr explained. 鈥淲e went to East Ward, an eight-room schoolhouse, and played a lot of football on the concrete basketball court there. We were always on the same team and you could tell this was going to be something cool.
鈥淪cott was a great track man. He was always one of the best receivers around. He was so fast and he ended up running great routes and became a good receiver.鈥�
Litwinovich initially went to California University then transferred to Waynesburg University to play out his football career.
His playing career easily transferred to an unfolding coaching career.
He and his wife, Lori 鈥� who is a fifth-grade teacher at South Fayette 鈥� have a son, Haiden, 19, who is a freshman pole vaulter at St. Francis University. The family resides in the South Fayette School District.
鈥淲hat he has done at South Fayette is unbelievable,鈥� Metheny said. 鈥淜ids love him. He鈥檚 a quiet guy and kids respond to the way he coaches. People have lot of respect for him and what he is doing. What he鈥檚 done with South Fayette鈥檚 summer program, especially with the young kids is just amazing. He鈥檚 really developing kids in so many ways.鈥�
Always the builder and thinker, Litwinovich brought Yoga into the Lions track program last year and incorporated it into their rest and recovery program.
Britney Strope Kwiatek, a South Fayette Township resident, is the Yoga instructor said her teachings have a positive impact.
鈥淚t鈥檚 basic and restorative. It breaks down everything,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 gentle stretching. We spend about 20 minutes in active recovery, stretching the quadriceps and recovering and hydrating.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just checking in with the kids, their mental and physical states after a physical meet or practice. Really, it is incorporating wellness into the program. It鈥� beneficial to them for recovery and mindfulness.
鈥淪cott鈥檚 a great person. He鈥檚 willing to think outside the box. He cares about the kids and he strives to help them get results they want on the track and off it. That is Scott.鈥�