WHITE In Gavin Landmarks freshman year Deubrook Area went 0-8. In his senior season the Dolphins went 8-4 and made a State championship game for the first time since 2012.
Landmark played a big part in the Dolphins success and he is the 2023 Register Football Player of the Year.
He ran for 1,390 yards and 27 touchdowns on 161 carries in 2023. He also had six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Landmark had 87 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, two sacks and one fumble recovery.
Landmark began his career as a wide receiver and played some back-up running back the past two seasons. This year he was put into the starting role and made the most of it. He said it was a smooth transition because his offensive line played well and he learned a lot from last years starting running back, Treven Grimsrud.
I was the back-up running back last year and I learned a lot. … It was nice with the transition because my line was really good. It was really easy to follow blocks and they made me look good, Landmark said.
Deubrook head coach Nathan Lamb said Landmarks versatility was something that stood out to him throughout his career and Landmark would do whatever it took to make sure the team won.
Im going to remember his versatility and his coach-ability, Lamb said. We could have played him at a variety of positions, defensively for sure. … Offensively, he did play a couple positions and he was always willing to do what was asked.
If we would have asked him to play [offensive line] he probably wouldnt have liked it, but he would have done it. I think thats the thing. His coach-ability and his leadership.
Deubrook finished the regular season with a record of 5-3 and was the No. 7 seed in the Class 9A Playoffs. The Dolphins then beat Estelline/Hendricks in the first round, Alcester-Hudson in the quarterfinals and Philip in the semifinals.
The Dolphins then had to play No. 1 seeded Warner and the two teams set the scoring record for a championship game played in South Dakota as Deubrook fell 76-54. Landmark said that despite his team coming up short in their quest for a State title, playing in that game and the run to the DakotaDome is something he wont ever forget.
The whole thing was just unreal, he said. … Going into [the DakotaDome] we talked to many people who played there and they were telling us how crazy of an experience it is, and I think you just have to be there to believe it. It was just big play after big play. It was so fun. Even though we lost, I had a great time and the fans did too.
Landmark does not plan to pursue football after high school. He is planning to go to South Dakota State next fall to pursue a degree in physical therapy.
From going to 0-8 to finishing Runner-Up in his senior season, Landmark said it was the perfect way to end his high school career. He added that the relationships he made along the way will be the thing hell cherish the most form his career.
We just kept battling and never gave up, Landmark said. We stuck it out and ended up in the championship. … It really meant everything to us. What Im going to remember most is the people I was with and the relationships I built. A lot of those youre going to keep for a long time and I couldnt be more thankful to god for having those relationships.
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