Peak Performer of the Week: Air Academy’s Gabe Dillemuth keeps Kadets’ rushing attack sharp despite losing school great Sam Beers
Gabe Dillemuth has given Air Academy football coach Scott Grinde some peace of mind.
It’s not easy turning the page after an extraordinarily talented athlete graduates. Following the 2022 season, the Kadets said goodbye to running back Sam Beers, who graduated in May after compiling more than 5,000 rushing yards and 70 scores during his time at Air Academy.
Dillemuth, the Kadets’ senior running back this season, learned all he could from Beers and has Air Academy back to business as usual.
“He’s come light-years from when he first started here four years ago. Kind of had to be in the shadow of a great player, and he has taken advantage of his opportunity, Grinde said. “He’s not Sam Beers, and as a coach you’re kind of worried about what’s the drop-off going to be and, to this point, it’s been pretty good. We’ve played well upfront; we’re playing hard. He’s doing a really good job with ball security, and he knows what he’s doing, and I can’t say enough good things about the guy.”
Dillemuth has been a staple of the Kadets’ offense all season, having scored in three of the team’s four wins, including three touchdowns a couple weeks ago. But Friday against Coronado, Dillemuth put up a stat line worthy of the Miami Dolphins: 34 carries for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
Air Academy running back Gabe Dillemuth is this week’s Peak Performer.
“The power and counter were working, but I didn’t get all those yards just for me. It was my line. They blocked super-well, and I thank them for that,” Dillemuth said.
Beers was even on hand to witness the feat and even started coaching some of the players at halftime, Grinde said.
“Sam was a big inspiration to me. He taught me how to run fast, run hard and, once he left, I had to fill his shoes. So it was big shoes to fill, but I think I did it,” Dillemuth said.
Running backs coach Clint Whitaker said the staff knew they might have something special in Dillemuth, who had 90- and 75-yard rushing touchdowns a season ago in relief of Beers. The training the senior back put in as a junior during the spring confirmed it. Now Dillemuth is reaping the benefit of his hard work.
The win over the Cougars is the third straight for Air Academy, who host Cheyenne Mountain this Friday. Dillemuth’s 642 rushing yards per MaxPreps has him ranked in the top 10 in Class 4A football, averaging more than 128.4 yards on the ground per contest.
One look at the intensity of Air Academy’s practices, and it’s easy to identify the fount of their success. Even in warmups, Coach Grinde urges maximum effort from his players.
“Perfection is the goal, but excellence will be tolerated,” he said to his players in practice Tuesday.
He preaches enthusiasm and urgency and isn’t afraid to have a little fun in order to convey the point. Tuesday, the coach donned a hat that had tufts of white with red and orange tips, making it seem like his hair was on fire.
“When I was at Sam Houston State University, I used to say it all the time: You think about your hair’s on fire, you’re like, ‘What do I do?’ You’re in that chaos mode, but you got to control it enough. So what we’re talking about is, run like your hair’s on fire, play like your hair’s on fire; just have a sense of urgency at all times and enthusiasm.
“We’re lucky. We get to play football every day,” he said.
The inspiration flows from the top down. Dillemuth wants to pay his football education forward in the short and long term.
He spent years behind one of Air Academy’s greats, and now has the chance to bring the same mentorship to younger players that he once received.
“I would like to mentor them to (not) be scared of what’s next,” he said.
While the young running back doesn’t expect to continue playing the sport at the next level, he wants to keep his connection to the game as a coach down the road.
“The sport’s given me a lot off the field. It’s helped me achieve my goals that I wanted to achieve and, hopefully, I can achieve it in the future, become a coach and keep football with me,” Dillemuth said.
Air Academy running back Gabe Dillemuth