Westfield had won just eight games combined in the three seasons prior to his arrival. And taking a high school job didn't exactly fit with Gilbert's plan of becoming a college head coach.
When Jake Gilbert took the Westfield job in 2011, after five years as an assistant at Wabash College, some of his friends in the football coaching field wondered what he was doing.
Six years later, following Westfield's 16-13 nail-biter win over Columbus East in the Class 5A championship Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, Gilbert walked down the line and hugged all of his players. By the time he left the stadium, Gilbert might have hugged all of Westfield.
Fifth-ranked Westfield earned its first state title with a rugged defensive performance, just enough offense and an Adam Vinatieri-like performance from its senior kicker. The Shamrocks (12-2) drove 68 yards in nine plays on their first drive of the second half and took a 16-13 lead on a 4-yard run by Nate Froelich midway through the third quarter.
The Westfield defense, one of the best in the state all season (allowing 14.8 points per game), made Froelich's score hold up. Fourth-ranked Columbus East's best chance to take the lead came late in the third quarter when the Olympians had first-and-goal from the Westfield 4. After three running plays moved the ball to the 1, Columbus East lined up to go for it. After a false start, coach Bob Gaddis sent the field goal team on for a potential tying kick.
The kick never materialized, however. The snap was high and holder Jonah Wichman rolled out to his right. Senior linebacker Justin Frey made the biggest of his six tackles, escorting Wichman to the right sideline. If Frey doesn't make the play, it probably goes for a touchdown.
It turned out to be Columbus East's best chance. Its next drive was torpedoed by two tackles for a loss by sophomore Collin Caldwell around midfield. Columbus East's final chance ended on a fourth-and-7 play from its own 23 when quarterback Josh Major was tackled by senior defensive back Caleb Sanburn.
Columbus East, averaging nearly 450 yards of total offense (350 rushing) per game, managed just 110 yards in the second half.
Westfield got a huge boost in the first half from Will Harrison. The senior kicker drilled a state finals record 52-yard field goal in the first quarter and tacked on field goals of 44 and 42 yards on the second quarter to give the Shamrocks a 9-6 lead.
It appeared Westfield would take that 9-6 lead into the locker room. Columbus East drove to the Westfield 14 on its final drive of the first half. Gaddis called a timeout with two seconds left and sent his offense back on the field.
Major handed the ball off to Jamon Hogan, who tossed it back over his head to receiver Caleb Voelker. As he sprinted to his right, Voelker caught the ball, then dropped it. It bounced right back to him and he fired into the end zone to a wide-open Tyler Thomas for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Olympians a 13-9 halftime lead.
• Saturday's attendance at Lucas Oil Stadium was 20,606 to bring the two-day total to 46,455. That is the highest two-day total since a sixth class was added in 2013. The previous high in the six-class era was 44,503 in 2014.
• Harry Crider was named the Eskew Mental Attitude Award winner for 5A. Crider, an offensive lineman and Indiana recruit, is a team captain and three-year letterman. Crider is involved in several organizations, including Key Club, IHSAA Student Leadership Conference, IHSAA Champions Together and is a freshman mentor.
The IHSAA executive committee selects a senior player who was nominated by his principal or coach and was determined to have demonstrated the best mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability.