For Dallastown varsity wrestling coach Dave Gable, the decision to step down was all about family and flexibility.

His son, Clay, who Gable coached to a PIAA Class AAA championship in the 171-pound weight class this season, will be heading more than 2,000 miles away to attend and wrestle at the Air Force Academy.

His daughter, Allyson, will be entering her senior year of high school in the fall. He also has a son named Brooks in kindergarten, who has started to get into youth wrestling.

They provided all the reasons the 44-year-old needed to start a new chapter in his life.

"I really haven't lost my passion and I'm certainly not burned out in any way," said Gable, who confirmed his resignation by phone Thursday night. "It's just right now, I'm not certain I can give the commitment of time and energy that I have in the past.

"If I can't guarantee that, I feel like they deserve someone who can."

In 20 seasons coaching the varsity wrestling team at Dallastown, Gable compiled an impressive record of 257-84-1 record. He coached two PIAA gold medal winners and led the Wildcats to two District 3 team championships.

Dallastown also won 12 YAIAA division championship while Gable was at the helm. Over those two decades, Dallastown wrestlers qualified for states on 41 occasions and placed in 23 of those times.

Heading into the 2008-09 season, Gable said he and his family discussed the possibility of him stepping down. He said he "didn't conclusively make up"

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his mind, but "was pretty sure the direction" he was going. He still kept quiet about it.

"I didn't want to have a season where I announced that it was my last season," Gable said. "That's not the kind of season I want to coach. I want to coach a season like every other season where it's all about what the kids are doing."

Gable was a wrestler himself at Dallastown, the first Wildcat to earn 100 career wins. He graduated in 1982 and finished with a career record of 101-10-1, going on to qualify for Division I nationals twice during his college career at Franklin & Marshall. Before he turned 25, he was coaching his high school team.

He won't rule out the possibility of coming back.

"I certainly wouldn't close the door on coaching forever," Gable said.

Rival coach Biff Walizer at Red Lion heard the news of the resignation from Gable himself via e-mail Thursday.

"He's an all-around excellent role model for the kids and he runs a first-class program," Walizer said. "In my e-mail to him (Thursday), I told him I'm going to miss competing against him because I knew, win or lose, we have that intense rivalry with the cross-town thing going on, but we've been able to keep it friendly between the two of us. It was always a joy to have that competition."

Walizer said he expects Gable to eventually rejoin the coaching ranks.

"I'm sure he will," Walizer said with a laugh. "I can't foresee him being out of it too long."
smclernon@ydr.com; 880-1501