Agoura’s Gordon Now Running on Right Path
Two years after being kicked off the Agoura High football team for missing practices, Jason Gordon is present and very much accounted for.
Opponents, in fact, can feel his presence, and it doesn’t feel so good.
“He’s big and he’s fast, and he just got better as the game went along,” Channel Islands defensive back Ryan Brunsell said after Gordon rushed for 188 yards and four touchdowns against the Raiders last week.
Gordon (6 feet, 190 pounds) is the first Marmonte League runner this season to eclipse 1,000 yards--he has 1,007 in 134 carries--and he’s scored a league-high 15 touchdowns.
Coach Charlie Wegher is glad Gordon returned to the team a more mature person after being disciplined.
“I figured he’d come back,” Wegher said. “He’s really a great kid. It’s not like he’s a discipline problem or anything.
“Every once in a while you get a player who all of a sudden blossoms. This year it’s Jason. It’s been a pleasure to coach him.”
Last year, Gordon didn’t play tailback until late in the season. In the finale, a shocking upset over Westlake, he gave a preview of what to expect during his senior year by rushing for 191 yards in 30 carries.
Where he would be during that senior year was undetermined.
“I was going to transfer to Oak Park, but I decided to stick with Agoura,” Gordon said. “It would be stupid to leave my senior year. I’m glad I stayed.”
Gordon spent much of the off-season in the weight room, where the muscle definition he gained helped define his role once the season began.
“I did get a lot stronger and faster,” he said. “As a running back, I don’t have to run around everybody. I have the option to run some people over.”
The Chargers are 4-3 (2-2 in league) and much improved over last year’s 2-8 team. Their two league losses came against Camarillo and Newbury Park in games Agoura scored 75 points but surrendered 89.
Wegher believes Gordon has Division I talent, although a junior college probably will be his first stop. His grade-point average is 3.0 but he lacks the core courses required by the NCAA. He plans to take the Scholastic Assessment Test next month.
One thing is for sure: “I’m definitely going to keep playing football,” he said.
