Isaac Cole appears to have a firm grasp of things.
Along with being the center of attention on Westfield's offensive line, the 6-foot, 275-pound senior also has priorities in order in the classroom.
"When you are a student-athlete, having the self-discipline to be able to complete your work when given time to do so in school is crucial," explained Cole, who maintains a 3.88 grade-point average. "If not, you are left with a ton of tasks to do outside of school, including daily sports practice.
In addition to paving the way for the Class 6A state runner-up Shamrocks to accumulate 459 points and more than 4,500 total yards, he is a member of the National Honor Society and finds the time to help out at Cornerstone Bible Church and also volunteers with several other activities and charities around town.
These are all good reasons why Isaac Cole was chosen as the 2024 Indianapolis Colts High School Man of the Year.
"I enjoy building relationships with those around me," said Cole, who also participates in track and field and unified track. "I also like mentoring younger guys, fishing around Indiana, and playing the bass guitar."
The award recognizes an outstanding Indiana high school football player who exemplifies character, leadership, and teamwork on and off the field.
"Isaac is an absolute joy to coach," said Westfield coach Josh Miracle. "He along with the rest of our offensive line serve as the heartbeat of our team. One of the most rewarding things as a coach is seeing how Isaac has impacted the lives of not only his high school teammates but also the younger players whom he mentors in our youth program."
After graduation, he plans to attend Taylor University where he will play football, throw the shot put, and study Biology with the hopes of becoming a chiropractor one day.
"I want to glorify the Lord in whatever areas possible during the rest of my senior year and into college," said Cole. "Prayer is huge when it comes to blocking out the noise. When in a conversation with the Lord, it is just you and Him. This makes it easy to put priority on glorifying Him with excellence and not on self-fulfilment or pleasing others."
Although Westfield (12-2) came up short in its quest for a second state title (a 22-17 loss to Brownsburg in the Class 6A title affair), it was not because of the bond developed between Cole and senior quarterback Carsen Melvin.
"Carsen and I are like two peas in a pod," explained Cole. "Most of the time, we are both focused on doing our jobs so much that we disregard any outside distractions. As a center, I appreciate when I am told when a snap is high or low and Carsen did a great job at communicating that. He's an excellent quarterback and it's been great to see him continue to get better throughout high school."
The same respect and trust go for his fellow linemen, including senior guard Tristan Cooke-Dennis and junior guard Job Mavrick.
"Those two meatheads bring an extreme amount of joy to my daily life," Cole recalled. "TCD and Job are very good at acknowledging when it's okay to joke around and have a little fun. Yet at the same time, they know when it's time to put their heads down and go to work. Double teams this year looked a lot different with these guys next to me. After a big hit from one of my guards, it is a ton easier to seal off my block. The whole offensive line had a great culture within the team, capped by our offensive line Christmas album."
He also has plenty of admiration for Coach Miracle, who stepped in this past spring when Jake Gilbert left to be an assistant coach at Wabash College.
"It was a true honor to play for someone who takes the time and effort to get to know his players on such a personal level," Cole said. "Coach Miracle brought great consistency of excellence to the program. There was also a sense of urgency from the players, as we all wanted him to be as successful as possible in his first year as the head coach."
Before heading off to Upland, Indiana this coming fall, he has some things he wants to accomplish.
"I am going to keep working hard in the weight room," explained Cole. "With the help of our great strength and conditioning coach, Tavio Henson, I currently have the all-time squat record at Westfield High School at 665 pounds. I'd like to get that up to 700 pounds to make it more challenging for my little brothers to break someday. I also want to consistently throw the shot put over 50 feet and read the whole bible from front to back."
