Andrean’s season is going precisely as Christian Gavin envisioned.

Gavin transferred from Lake Central following the first semester of his junior year, not long after the 59ers lost to Adams Central in a Class 2A semistate last November.

“As soon as I came here, I already knew the standard, what was the main goal, and that was beat Adams Central and make it to state,” he said. “It started as soon as I got here — the lifting, the goals, all the hard work.”

All that work paid off when Gavin and the 59ers defeated defending state champion Adams Central, which was ranked No. 1 in the 2A coaches poll, in a semistate last week. No. 4 Andrean (12-1) will play No. 2 Brownstown Central (14-0) in the 2A state championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday.

“It’s an unreal feeling, for sure,” Gavin said. “My first time coming this far, it just feels great.”

But Gavin knows this isn’t the first time for the 59ers, who will be playing in their third state championship game in five seasons and will be seeking their fourth state title.

“I knew it’s a good culture to be around,” he said. “I thought it would be a good fit for me, this team and this program.

“You have to show that you want to be here. You have to show that you want to put in the work. It really wasn’t a hard transition because I knew what I was looking for. I wanted that extra motivation, that extra push.”

Gavin has delivered in his only season for the 59ers. The 6-foot, 225-pound senior outside linebacker has a team-high 97 tackles, a team-high 16 tackles for loss, three sacks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.

“He’s been great since arriving on campus,” Andrean coach Chris Skinner said. “He’s bought into what we’re doing. We first saw that in the weight room with his work ethic and his dedication to it. We saw it early in the summer, just with the way we were teaching him and the way he was absorbing what we were doing. We were asking him to play a different position than he had played previously. He played mostly as a defensive end, and we thought he had a lot of potential off the ball as an outside linebacker. That was a little new for him — and obviously learning our system, the little intricacies of how to be successful as an outside linebacker.

“But all of that is to say, we could tell early on that he was extremely motivated and willing to learn and ask questions. His athletic ability, his speed and power, probably flashes. But you have to play with technique, and what we’ve seen throughout the season is a continual improvement on the technique side that allows him to play with that power and speed.”

Gavin, who started for two seasons at Lake Central, embraced the position change.

“I low-key prefer the outside backer,” he said. “Being more in space, you can just see the field and just move to the ball and just play.

“I have a high motor, just flowing and flying around, just having fun. Just being able to pressure the QB when I’m blitzing and don’t give him a lot of time in the pocket. If I’m bringing that pressure, that QB is going to know I’m coming.”

Senior outside linebacker Christian Gavin has 97 tackles and 16 tackles for loss for Andrean, which will play Brownstown Central in the Class 2A state championship game on Saturday. (Michael Osipoff / Post-Tribune)

Andrean junior inside linebacker Ethan Reyna appreciates Gavin’s presence.

“Christian is an impact player, and it’s so great to have him on our defense,” Reyna said. “He plays with crazy intensity and violence on every snap. He’s a player you definitely want on your side and not the other team. He’s also an awesome teammate, and it’s been great building a bond with him on and off the field.”

Andrean sophomore inside linebacker Vinny Zsuppon feels the same way.

“Christian is an outstanding football player and person,” Zsuppon said. “He’s a great person to be around, and it’s very fun to be out there on the field with him on Friday nights. I’m very glad he transferred to Andrean, and I’d say he really loves it here.”

Gavin played basketball at Lake Central during his freshman year. He was going to play again as a sophomore, but he suffered a dislocated right kneecap and partially torn patella tendon in the regular-season finale of football season. He intends to play basketball for Andrean.

Gavin’s future is in football, however.

“There’s scholarship football ahead of him,” Skinner said. “The exact level, that’s something we’ll have to figure out in the offseason, talking to schools. But he’s put a lot of really good stuff on film to show college coaches what he’s capable of doing.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/28/football-2a-state-final-andrean-christian-gavin/