Supermen of 5A

They're the supermen of Class 5A on the eastern side of the state. They play for two of the top programs anywhere in the state in 5A. They're receiving interest from top college football programs from across the country. They're David Gordon of East Central and Michael Doctor of Booker T. Washington.

Opponents of the Cardinals and Hornets better take notice in 2008 - Gordon and Doctor are super athletes capable of making plays anywhere on the field in the blink of an eye.

Gordon, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound wide receiver/cornerback, isn't called "Flash Gordon" for anything. His head football coach, Travis Hill, says he is the fastest player he has ever coached, and that's saying a lot considering the talent that has come out of East Central over the years.

Gordon doesn't just impress on the gridiron. He brought home four gold medals as a junior at the 5A state track meet. He's been clocked with legit 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash, and his best time in the 100 is a 10.41. He won gold in the 100-meter and 200-meter and was a member of top finishes in the 4x4 relay and 4x1 relay. East Central went on to claim its first-ever state title in track, and Gordon was major reason why.
"He might be the fastest kid I have coached," Hill said. "The thing that separates him from other football players that run well is his ability to change direction and flip his hips. He also has a great knack for making plays."

Gordon has lofty goals entering his senior season. He was being recruited by the likes of Oklahoma, Louisiana State, Arkansas, Michigan, Tulsa and Oklahoma State, before recently choosing the Razorbacks. He wants to remembered as one of the fastest athletes to ever come out of Oklahoma, and he plans on participating in football and track on the next level.

"I want to break some records," Gordon said. "I want to be put my footprint down and be one of the fastest players out of Oklahoma, as well as one of the greatest athletes. I want to have a great football and track season."

Like Jenks and Union is Class 6A, the East Central/Booker T. Washington matchup in week 2 will have just as much at stake. Both schools will more than likely be ranked in the top three in 5A when they square off.
This will be his first time to experience the matchup on the field. Gordon started attending East Central following his sophomore year when he transferred from Broken Arrow. In a limited role, Gordon finished with 11 catches for 217 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver in 2007. He also recorded three interceptions, one of which he returned for a TD.

"It will be a great game and one of those games everybody wants to come and see and experience," Gordon said. "The best athletes in 5A will go head-to-head. It's one of the best rivalries and is right up there with Jenks/Union. It will be a battle of the titans."

Gordon is wide open when it comes to the recruiting process, although he lists OU, LSU and Arkansas and early favorites.

"Last year I was nobody and since everything has blown up in my face," he said. "It's difficult and gets harder and harder to find that deciding factor."

"The recruiting process for David is just like it is for most athletes that get a lot of attention from major colleges," Hill said. "It starts off fun and then becomes a little nerve racking. I believe David has narrowed his choices down to three or four schools in order to make the process of making the right choice a little easier."

"I feel with the mind that God gave me, I have no limitations to what I can as an athlete," Gordon said. "I just want to have fun, help people get of here and help this team win a state championship."

Michael Doctor is just as impressive for the Hornets. The 6-foot, 205-pounder attacks opposing ball carriers at full steam. He registered 150 tackles and logged three quarterback sacks during his junior season at the safety and linebacker positions.

"I want to make a big hit on every single play," he said. "I feel like I can become a better tackler and I want to more of an impact on offense this year with more rushing yards and touchdowns."

Yes, Doctor is just as impressive as a running back. Although this will be his first year to start at the position, he finished with 276 yards on 44 carries with seven touchdowns in 2007. He has started on the defensive side of the ball ever since his freshman campaign.

The Hornets will be scary good in 2008 and are now back in Class 5A after a 6-5 season in 6A last year. And Doctor will be a major impact for the Hornets. He is being targeted by schools such as Oregon State, Tulsa, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Michigan and Louisville as both a linebacker and safety.

"Recruiting is going pretty well," he said. "It wears you down after a while. I will take my time to make a decision and probably wait until after the season to decide what I am going to do."

Doctor, who plans on playing on the Hornet basketball team and running track this year, knows what is at stake when the Hornets hook up with East Central, a game that could give a preview of a state title matchup.

"It's a great rivalry and usually a low scoring game," he said. It always draws a really big crowd and I would say it's right up there with the Jenks/Union rivalry."

One thing is for certain - when the Cardinals and Hornets clash on Sept. 12 both teams will be in the early stages of a hunt for a state championship and all eyes will on the supermen of 5A, Gordon and Doctor.