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I think you’re somewhat right about the 2018 McLean team. They would definitely play Gordon tough. I’m just not convinced they win.
Using Strawn as the main reasoning isn’t a great case, considering Strawn had three losses that season — McLean, Milford, and Garden City, before obviously running through D2 and winning state. Gordon would get more than one stop, for sure. I remember last year when they compared the Whiteface running back to the McLean RB, and Gordon held him to around 38 yards, which is crazy low.
On the broadcast, it was also mentioned that over a 29-game stretch, Gordon has held teams to under 9 points per game. I also thought if Abbott played in almost any other era, they would’ve won back-to-back titles and rarely get discussed. What Abbott did over a four-year period was extremely impressive , and Gordon still showed a clear next level of play against them.
McLean’s defense was primarily man-to-man (hence the 70 points they gave up to Milford’s spread back, who was something special to watch). Whiteface ran almost exclusively man as well, and Rankin tried man coverage too and Gordon responded with I think it was like 13 one play touchdown drives. And Gordon clearly has according to track times 6 kids who were faster than him. Not saying better. Just faster.
I actually think the state Garden City team would play Gordon the toughest, although their defense wasn’t very good. Back in 2012, I went to watch Westbrook and Highland play basketball, and a group of us old-timers were talking and felt the only team we’d seen that could beat those state Highland teams was 2012 Throckmorton. Their defense was big and physical, and their offense could do just about anything they wanted.
I watched this year’s post-state press conferences, and when the Gordon coach, who also coached that 2012 Throckmorton team, said it wouldn’t even be close with these last two Gordon teams, that statement carried a lot of weight, considering he’s coached all them.