Congratulations to Dave Heckard for being named recipient of the A.I. Garner Outstanding Coach Award — an incredible honor recognizing coaching excellence across the midstate.
Coach Heckard has left an impressive mark at both Mechanicsburg and Cumberland Valley. He’s the all-time wins leader in wrestling at CV, and since joining Mechanicsburg in 2022, he’s led the charge for both our boys and newly launched girls wrestling programs. In 2024, Coach Heckard took the reins as head football coach, and what a debut! He guided our Cats to an undefeated regular season, a Keystone Division title, and a deep playoff run to the district semifinals. He was also named Keystone Coach of the Year.
A West Shore Hall of Fame inductee, Coach continues to inspire student-athletes with his leadership, passion, and dedication. He was nominated for this award by senior student-athlete Josh Smith.
Congratulations, Coach Heckard, and thank you for all you bring to our Wildcat community.