High school football preview: Highland's Jameson Gordon wants to step up on defense

Highland linebacker Jameson Gordon loved playing behind All-Ohio linemen Carson Noonan and Ryan Zywiec last season, but there was one negative: They were so good they took away a bunch of his tackles. Despite the fact the first-team defense wasn't on the field a lot because it got a ton of three-and-outs and often sat in the second half of Suburban League American Conference blowouts, Noonan, a two-time first-team Division II All-Ohio pick and 2024 Gazette co-MVP with Highland running back Casey Myser, led Medina County with 10½ sacks and was second with 20 tackles for loss. Zywiec, an All-Gazette pick and second-team All-Ohio choice, led the area with 21½ TFLs and was second with 9½ sacks. Both graduated, so now it's time for the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Gordon to shine as a senior. "It's going to be different, for sure," the long but strong 17-year-old said. "A bunch of times last year, especially with Ryan Zywiec, I would be right there ready to make a tackle and he was so quick he would get there before me. I'm excited this year to get all the tackles he stole from me. "With Carson, the biggest thing I noticed from him is the amount of times he was double-teamed and nobody would block me. We've got some guys this year who aren't as big, but they're super quick. I think we'll be pretty well off." Once again playing next to All-Gazette linebacker Evan Foust, who led Highland with 88 tackles a year ago, Gordon is out to improve on an honorable mention All-Gazette season that saw him record 73 tackles, 7½ tackles for loss and one sack. He also forced two fumbles and had six pass breakups as the Hornets went 13-1 overall and 7-0 in the SL American. "He's a longer kid, but he's got a good frame," Hornets coach Mike Gibbons said. "He's very athletic and he's got very good instincts. He likes contact, which you want. There's a lot to like about him. "(Noonan and Zywiec) made so many plays at level one last year that people didn't get to level two, so he's going to have to step up and make a lot of plays this year. He's done a phenomenal job this offseason. He's gone at it seven days a week and put himself in good position to lead the team." Laid back off the field but loud and boisterous on it, Gordon, who has scholarship offers from Walsh University and several other D-II colleges and has heard from a number of Mid-American Conference schools, is eager to meet the challenge. "What I like about being in the middle of the defense is I get a chance to make a play on every single play," he said. "I'm also one of the best communicators on the team, so I can get everyone together and make sure everyone is in the right spot. I try to be as downhill and fast as possible so I can make plays behind the line of scrimmage. I try my best not to take any false steps and go right to the ball." Gordon, who can bench press 315 pounds, squat 515 and deadlift 470, also watches a lot of film and uses the brain that has helped him compile a 4.2 grade-point average. "I'm constantly watching film, so I have a jump on what the play is before it even starts," he said. "I'm definitely not afraid to come down and hit somebody. I'm bigger than most people, which helps me with driving through the ball carrier. I'm just very physical." In his third year on the varsity, Gordon was a part of Highland teams that lost to Avon, which won the D-II state title in 2024, in the regional finals the last two years. "Our coaches are constantly on us and we all know we haven't earned anything yet," he said. "It's going to be different this year, but we still mean business and we're still one of the best teams in Ohio. "We'd love to get past Avon. We've got to keep taking those steps up and keep working at it. We actively put in defenses thinking of Avon in the preseason. We're taking it one game at a time, but Avon is always in the back of our minds." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on X.