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Westfield Shamrocks defeat Flashes as Coach Gilbert notches 83rd career win
(Courtesy: @whsrocksfootball/Instagram)

Westfield Shamrocks defeat Flashes as Coach Gilbert notches 83rd career win

WESTFIELD, Ind. — After a decade of building up his football team, Westfield football head coach Jake Gilbert’s players helped him reach an impressive milestone last Friday night. The Shamrocks defeated the Franklin Central Flashes at Ray Skillman Stadium 42-28 after jumping out to a 28-7 lead at the half. They delivered Gilbert his 83rd career win since taking over in 2011.

Gilbert is now 83-55 overall in the regular season and postseason combined, earning him a win percentage above 60 with several competitive seasons, including a state title in the 2016-17 season over Columbus East 16-13.

The Shamrocks finished 8-1 last season and made a deep playoff run but fell short in the state championship to Center Grove 38-14. The team has put forth yet another dominant showing this season after dropping the opener at home to Indianapolis Cathedral 14-0. Since then, they’ve rattled off eight straight wins with an average margin of victory of 17.6 points per game.

With Friday’s win, Westfield finishes this regular season with a record of 8-1. Franklin Central put up a fight in this year’s matchup, outscoring Westfield 21-14 in the second half, but the 21-point deficit was just too much to overcome. These two teams have not clashed much in the past, but during the last few seasons Gilbert’s squad has gone 4-0.

Gilbert earned his 62nd regular season win last Friday against Fishers, with a final score of 34-14. Gilbert’s milestone wins can continue with an opportunity on Oct. 29 to win his 20th playoff game of his career when the Shamrocks go on the road in two weeks to take on Noblesville in the sectional semifinals.

Every high school coach must go through dramatic roster changes as student-athletes come and go. Some coaches struggle to sustain success as a result, but for coach Gilbert that hasn’t been an issue. He’s consistently gotten the very best out of his team with different players and talent. Gilbert has had many great teams and very productive quarterback play, but senior Maximus Webster might be the best one of his entire coaching career.

Webster’s dual threat abilities were on full display this past Friday in front of the Flashes faithful crowd. He accounted for 328 totals yards, 271 in the air, 57 on the ground, four touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and no interceptions. He has the highest quarterback rating in the conference this year at 134.4. He had the second highest rating last season at 135.2, only trailing Avon quarterback Henry Hesson.

Webster finished the year with 1,478 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also ran for 226 yards and three rushing touchdowns on the season. His quarterback rating the last two seasons are higher than any of the previous quarterbacks Gilbert has coached during his tenure.

Westfield has had one of the most successful coaching careers in the Class 6A Hoosier Crossroads Conference (HCC) for the past decade and shows no signs of slowing down. After securing their coach’s 80th win, the team is preparing for another postseason run, looking to add a second state title to his illustrious resume.

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