A phone call from Butch Thorpe and 10 minutes changed Dave Shackelford's life.
The time period was how long it took him to accept an offer to coach C-squad at Harrison. The rapid decision is an anomaly for the coach, who paid attention to every detail, down to the plastic bags he used to cover whiteboards in his briefcase and the 1,400-plus practice plans he put together that mapped out each minute of his 40 years worth of them.
The two schools came together on Thursday to honor the retiring coach after his 13 years leading the Panthers and subsequent 27 leading the Terrors. Fittingly, it was the latter that won his final game, 49-22.
Next year, placed atop the Palmer gym's west side will be a video scoreboard in the honor of the coach.
"Something just always kept bringing me back," Shackelford said. "I've always enjoyed doing it and enjoyed watching the kids grow, whether I was coaching or teaching."
Boys' coach Eric Trujillo was a reason the 40th season happened.
His daughter, senior Alyssa Trujillo needed the proper coach for her final year. This after Shackelford put four years into coaching Eric, Alyssa's older sister and Eric's wife.
A line stretched out of the Palmer doors on Thursday with former players, officials, coaches and parents that had been touched by Shackelford during his 40 years.
Even on their wedding night nearly 30 years ago, Dave and his wife, Debbie, nearly had to stop a full-on brawl for the bouquet between current and former Harrison and Palmer players — each wanting to have the special token of their coach's special night.
Former players as far as Boise, Idaho, made the trip out for his final contest. Trujillo would do the same, in a heartbeat.
"He got to know you outside of basketball and cared so much more about us than just basketball players," Alyssa said. "He coached my sister and I've known him forever.
"You can't describe it, he's just the greatest coach."
Those same alums who made their way to Colorado Springs gave Shackelford grief from the stands during his final game.
They shouted at the coach about how calm his demeanor was, even asking why he wasn't yelling as much. Shackelford made sure to go into the post-halftime huddle with a laugh and a joke.
"Who wants to get yelled at?" the coach asked with a smirk. He quickly declined several requests, and couldn't help but smile after giving stern directions during the game.
As much of a winner as Shackelford ended his career as — 371 wins, in case you were wondering — his impact was in the way former players and colleagues flocked back to the school on a weekday for his final game.
Thorpe even made the daunting drive through the snow from Fruita to Monument.
And yet, Shackelford did what he always does: Make the night special for everyone.
He doubled down on pregame ceremonies — one for the seniors he was sending off to college, and the other for all the non-seniors he was bidding adieu to in his final game.
Once those were done, he presented Debbie and thanked her for the years she'd put in to help him. They stretched all the way back to when the two met while helping launch for athletics for students with intellectual disabilities. He's also helped umpire and officiate games throughout the area, all while coaching.
Helping Harrison, Palmer and groups of intellectually disabled athletes was just part of what Shackelford says has been a lifelong dream of helping the less fortunate.
Sitting under the now-dim lights of the gym he called home for 27 years, Shackelford shook his head in disbelief.
Pinching the coach still couldn't wake him from "the dream" he's gotten to live for four decades.
"If you had told me after that first phone call that I've have coached 40 years, I would've said you were crazy," Shackelford said. "I can't even believe this is real.
"I could've never believed this could happen."
Rides home were simply part of the job for Shackelford in his early career. He'd be sure to sit out front of the house until players were inside with the lights on before he drove away.
Now, his own office's light will take its final switch off. The lives he's touched will now be the ones standing by to make sure he makes it out all right, just the way he did his whole career.
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