MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Josh Oswalt has now come full circle back to Cumberland Valley. After head coaching stints at Carlisle and Central York, Oswalt now leads the tradition-rich Eagles.
“I think very highly of Tim Rimpfel. You know, when I walk into that weight room that's what I remember. I remember the golden years at Cumberland Valley. I want to make sure that I make people like Tim Rimpfel proud,” said Oswalt.
Since returning to his alma mater it's been a walk down memory lane, with moments of discovering some hidden treasures.
“I found some stat books from Harry Chapman,” recalled Oswalt. “He has the perfect penmanship and is very meticulous in his approach."
While the pandemic has put a lot on hold, there’s already a balancing act of honoring and respecting tradition, while also bringing back some things from the program's past, including a white helmet.
“The helmet change was something we had been building up since February. We went through a lot of different options. Cumberland Valley, to me, is like the Penn State of high school football and we don't need the flash,” said Oswalt.
When it came to creating a plan for the Eagles to start voluntary workouts, Oswalt knows that across Pennsylvania, coaches are on the same team.
“My most recent call was with Joe Headen at Susquehanna Township. He's opening up next week and I’m going to give him a call on Wednesday and just kind of say, ‘Hey Coach, this is what worked for us, this is what didn't work for us.’ Because at the end of the day we're all after a common goal and in this scenario, it's saving our season,” said Oswalt.
Cumberland Valley is back on the field and in the weight room this week. While it's a step towards the season, the Oswalt era has officially begun.
“Ninety-five student athletes to be exact, were in our group that we were able to work with, interact with, and touch base with. That’s something that we haven't been able to do in this type of setting with zoom and that's powerful,” Oswalt said.