A record setting high school career that featured a run to the Class 4A semi-state as a sophomore and ended with a Class 4A state championship has come to an end for Mt. Vernon High School (IN) quarterback Gehrig Slunaker.
And, the memories and legacy he left fans with will last for some time.
Since picking up a football as a child and throwing it with his father, Slunaker has had nothing but love for the game.
" I instantly fell in love with the game. I can remember bundling up to go out and throw the football in the snow. It doesn’t matter what the weather is, I always have the ball in my hand," Slunaker told Heartland Sports Report recently.
In addition to a pigskin, Slunaker has also played baseball for as long as he can remember.
"I am starting to lean towards football, but I still have a love for baseball and it will be hard to give that up. I believe in playing multiple sports and that different sports work different muscles. Throwing the football and hitting are similar motions so when I work on one of them it can translate to the other," Slunaker said.
During his career at Mt. Vernon, Slunaker led Mt. Vernon to new heights as he quarterbacked the Marauders to a 37-5 campaign during his tenure, including 14 straight wins to close out the 2021 season, which ended with a 45-14 win over Northridge to claim the Class 4A state title.
"I had quite the journey during my time playing with Mt. Vernon, and I enjoyed every second of it. I will never forget the memories I made the past three years. I formed bonds with my teammates that will last a lifetime. There is no better ending than to go out with a state title. It is a storybook ending and it is everything you ever dream of as a kid," Slunaker told HSR.
While some may have been surprised with the success of Mt. Vernon, Slunaker said he is not and knew what his teammates were capable of from day one.
"I am not surprised by our success. We worked so hard to get to where we got. We earned everything we achieved and that is what makes it so special because we have it everything we had and left nothing to question," he said.
The same applies for his success.
"Same thing, I made sure in the weight room I never missed a rep and I would do an extra rep often times just to take that next step. We came so close the past two years losing to the eventual state champion, and I knew how close we were. I made sure my teammates were the best they could be and never let them take days off. I made sure to grab a receiver after practice if I felt something was off or if I just wanted to get more reps in. I will never forget all the hard work it took to become a state champion, and now I am trying to continue this hard work to get to the next level," Slunaker noted.
The success paid off for the signal caller, as he threw for over 3,000 yards and 34 touchdowns compared to only five interceptions as a senior. For his career, which began at Greenfield-Central High School, Slunaker was 529-of-913 through the air for 8,286 yards, 80 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He added 486 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground during his career.
The hard work, dedication and success paid off as he recently committed to Georgetown College, where he will continue his football career, and he says Georgetown will get "everything he has."
"I understand the hard work it takes to win a championship and I can transfer that to the college level. I am going to run with it and never look back. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I am going to make the most of the opportunity I get," Slunaker said.