'It couldn't have ended any better.' Jake Gilbert's HS coaching days end with All-Star win

INDIANAPOLIS – The fans at Decatur Central’s Devere Fair Stadium became very familiar Garrett Sherrell in Friday night's Indiana Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game.

The Brownsburg running back scored three touchdowns, tying a game record, and lead the South to a 41-14 win.

“I just go in and find the end zone,” Sherrell said. “It’s like a magnet. Just try to find it.”

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It was a fitting end to high-school play for Sherrell, who won the game’s Tyler Roth MVP award. The UIndy commit is coming off a tremendous season where he rushed for 2,078 yards and 25 touchdowns during Brownsburg’s 9-1 season. Sherrell scored multiple rushing touchdowns in nine of 10 games in 2023. He had three or more rushing scores five times.

“I wasn’t surprised at all, to be honest,” South coach Jake Gilbert said. “I mean, that guy… I thought he had an amazing senior year and should’ve been a Division I player. I think he’s the steal of the entire recruiting class, that he’s going to UIndy. He’s an amazing player, so I wasn’t surprised one bit.”

Gilbert, the former Westfield coach, has game-planned against Sherrell for the past few years in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference. On Friday, he got to draw up plays for Sherrell to rush for a game-high 103 yards.

Every year, this game marks the final one in the high school careers of the players on the field. But this game also meant the end for Gilbert as a high-school coach. Gilbert departed Westfield to become Wabash’s head-coach-in-waiting in March. He’ll spend 2024 as Don Morel’s defensive coordinator before becoming the Little Giants’ head coach in 2025.

Gilbert hadn’t thought about this being his final high school game until North (and Fort Wayne Snider) coach Kurt Tippmann brought it up at Thursday night’s banquet. It was at that moment when everything set in for the man who led Westfield to a Class 5A state title in 2016.

“It did get a little emotional,” Gilbert said. “I love Indiana high school football. It’s been so good to me, and I tried to give everything in myself as a player and coach. Knowing that this was it, it is emotional, but it couldn’t have ended any better than it did tonight. For you to know this will be your last game and then to go out like this — what a blessing. Not very many people get that opportunity.”

Gilbert’s son, Jackson, also split quarterback reps with Bloomington South’s Jarrin Alley in the win. Jackson was 8-of-9 through the air for 67 yards and two touchdowns. After quarterbacking for his dad’s Westfield teams, Jackson will go with him to Wabash. Jackson was happy to get one more high school win after a crushing double overtime loss to Crown Point in semistate ended his Westfield career.

“Our season ended a little bit earlier than we wanted,” Jackson said. “So it’s awesome to be able to end high school football on such a great win. It’s been a blast to prepare for this, and I’ve made so many relationships and it was great to come and execute and get the win tonight.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Garrett Sherrell stars, Jake Gilbert leads South in IFCA All-Star Game