Mineral Wells Area News

With targets on their backs, Gordon knows they will get every opponent’s best

By DAVID MAY

Special to Mineral Wells Area News

GORDON – It’s a golden era of athletics for Palo Pinto County’s black and gold, and it likely is just the beginning.

Last season, a talented and cohesive group of sophomores steamrolled their way to a Class 1A-1 sixman football championship, going 15-0 while defeating their opponents by an average score of 60-9. The Longhorns have lost just one football game the past two seasons. They were not only crowned state champs, but also ranked first nationally.

Once the football season was in the books, they hit the hardwood. The ‘Horns boys basketball team went 21-7, knocking off two-time defending state champ Graford in the region finals before falling to Benjamin in the state semifinals in San Antonio.

Shifting to the diamond, Gordon made it to the state regional semifinals before bowing out to state finalist Abbott. The ‘Horns then won the Class 1A state track meet in Austin with 83 points – 41 points over the second-place team. Stryker Reed received Class 1A top male athlete honors while establishing state meet and personal best records. He won two individual gold medals and a silver medal.

Now juniors, Gordon this season returns five starters on both offense and defense, a group that last season won all 15 games by the 45-point Texas sixman mercy rule, playing into the fourth quarter just once.

The ‘Horns will be seeking their first back-to-back state football titles and the fourth overall in school history. Head Coach and Athletics Director Mike Reed, a Gordon alum, could make his seventh sixman state title trip after he led Rule to state twice before guiding Throckmorton to three straight title game appearances, winning consecutively in 2011 and 2012.

Knowing what it takes to reach and win a state title game, and what it takes to repeat that effort, Coach Reed also knows much can happen during the course of fall camp and the season – especially in sixman football. But he says the approach to the season, and the management of success and expectations, will remain constant within the program.

“Our coaching staff approach to our philosophy stays the same,” Reed said. “It’s easy to keep the kids focused because it’s a new year and we are not flying under the radar. The things we are talking about right now is that we work every day like we are contenders to get to the top.”

Entering the 2024 season as the consensus top-ranked Class 1A-1 team, Reed said the team needs to tune out the hype and prepare the way they did in previous seasons.

“We must keep our mindsets the same,” he said. “Train like we still have something to prove. It’s a rematch and we have to be even better because now. The things we did to get to the top have been studied and will be countered in new ways and we have to continue to evolve and be a step ahead. I’m not worried about the accolades and such because as the year goes on each kid’s strengths show up and it becomes their time in multiple sports. You can’t have individual accolades without team success and that’s always priority number one.”

Gordon is deep in talent with multiple weapons to throw at opponents.

Riley Reed is Dave Campbell Texas Football’s pre-season Defensive Player of the Year and an all-state selection. He was the offensive MVP in the state title game win over Westbrook. Stryker Reed is a DCTF pre-season all-state selection on offense.

Among last year’s seniors, the most significant player to graduate is Whit Fuller, who split duties at quarterback and started at linebacker. Senior Maddox Stewart is projected to replace Fuller on defense, while junior Noah Kostiha steps in as the full-time quarterback.

“Everything starts with the center through him,” Coach Reed said of Kostiha. “He played a lot last season in the big games and even went 6-for-6 passing in the state game. The thing that he needs to do to keep the offense humming on all cylinders is the same game plan as the rest of them. Just do your job and take chances and live with the results. We have a really good team and it gives all the guys confidence on plays to stay aggressive within their position.”

Kostiha’s primary job is to get the ball in the hands of the two Reeds and receiver Brayden Walters, who was spectacular PREVIEW:  and realize that even professionals have levels of improvement. Of the kids in the Big Country area last year, players from Sweetwater to Stephenville to Wichita Falls to Brock, nine kids will be going to Division 1 schools. Of those nine kids that are going to that level they all did football and track. As sophomores last year, Stryker and Riley ran as fast or faster than all nine. Having that kind of speed in one single school is rare. But to have these two, as well as Brayden, led to explosive plays last season and (will) hopefully again in 2024.”

Reed said a new group of sophomores will see increased roles this season. They are Eric James (OL/DL), Rowe Williams (RB/DB), Aiden Shank (RB/LB) and Evan Jackson (C/DL). He also praised sophomores Hudson Campbell (QB/S), Corvin Seymour (OL/DL) and Tristan Ross (RB/LB) for their efforts in the early stages of camp.

“(They) have already had a good start to the season,” the coach said of his rising group. “The thing right now that is super exciting is how good we are in practice. Our scout team and players competing for reps has made it really competitive. Not losing any coaches keeps our language the same and kids understand expectations.”

While Gordon’s offense is explosive, one could say the ‘Horns success begins with its disciplined, hard-hitting and stingy defense that forces opposing offenses into bad downs and distance before often forcing a turnover that quickly turns into points.

Reed noted Gordon’s defense ranked eighth in the state among all high school teams, from Class 6A through 1A.

“And those that know sixman, to play 15 weeks and only allow an average of nine points was something that I didn’t expect,” he said. “So far, it looks like we have the potential to be even better. We added depth into positions and really had a lot of maturity growth, as well as just experience.” 

The team’s seniors have participated in 12 playoff games their first three seasons, while the juniors have lost just one game since the sixth grade, Reed said.

“So when it comes to defense they have seen it all (and) are really savvy to what our opponents are trying to do. Being so well-rounded in the multiple sports and all the coaches being on the same page helps keep their efforts and motors constantly going.”

Expect Gordon to keep that motor finely tuned and revved up this season. They open the season under both the Friday night lights and the Marfa lights against a Shorthorns team that went 7-3 last season but missed the playoffs. Gordon makes the short trip to Strawn in week three of the schedule for Texas sixman football’s biggest rivalry, with Strawn seeking revenge for last year’s loss in Gordon.

2024 Gordon Longhorns schedule