North Chicago’s Vondarious Gordon oozes star potential.
Not only in his game, but also in his nickname.
After he ran the 100-meter dash in 10.8 seconds last season, Gordon unofficially has the label as the fastest player at North Chicago, where he’s known as “Cheetah.”
Gordon, though, might not be the fastest runner in his own family. His cousin, Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon, was a star at Wisconsin.
“Flash Gordon is fast, but I’m hoping to be faster than him when the time comes,” Vondarius Gordon said. “I talked to him. He tells me to stay humble and focused. My goal this year is to help bring (the team) to playoffs.”
So far, so good for the sophomore running back, who was one of many impact players in North Chicago’s 59-0 victory over visiting Robeson on Saturday afternoon.
Led by Gordon, the Warhawks (2-0) scored 47 points in the first half to set up a running clock in the second half.
He finished with 125 yards rushing, scoring on runs of 26, 52 and 47 yards.
“Vondarious is special,” North Chicago coach Addonte Adams said. “He’s a big kid with some good speed. He’s going to do some amazing things for us in the next couple of years. The sky is the limit for us. He can move around, can play many positions.”
At 6-foot, 175 pounds, Gordon has the strength and power to run over opponents. But his speciality rests in his state track-level speed.
“This was a perfect day,” Gordon said of his three-touch, three-TD day. “My whole mindset when I get the ball is to just score, especially with my speed. To make a move and get a touchdown. I feel I’m a key weapon for the offense because of my speed. The offensive line blocked great and opened up the holes for me to get the yards.”
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Due to North Chicago’s crowded and talented backfield, Gordon’s carries have been limited. Senior Garett Turner is North Chicago’s power back. DeQuan Leonard was limited against Robeson because an injury.
Adams said he let Gordon stay on the freshman level last season to help him gain some confidence and reps. Gordon introduced himself with a 78-yard TD run in a 15-0 win at Waukegan in Week 1.
“I didn’t bring him up because I wanted that class to become strong and not separate them and help them build that bond because I knew by sophomore year, he wasn’t going to be playing at the lower levels,” Adam said. “With him, we can hit teams with many different type of backs.”
Bob Narang is a freelance writer for the News-Sun.