The Eye of the Gale student spotlight features Lancaster High School junior football player Jahmeir Gordon who has been named the Lancaster Eagle Gazette 2025 offensive player of the year. Gordon was also named first team All-Ohio Capital Conference and first team All-Central District Division I first team. In eight games he finished with 1,238 yards, including 943 yards rushing, 14 touchdowns, and 295 yards receiving. In game one against Dublin Scioto, he rushed 167 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns. In the homecoming game against Logan, he had 163 yards, 17 carries, and three touchdowns all in the first half. In the rival game against Newark, he rushed for 167 yards and 17 carries (Wilson).
Gordon said that receiving this honor carries significant meaning for him.
“Winning offensive player of the year means a lot to me because I feel like I worked hard to get this achievement and kept going even through injuries and just felt like it was a chance for me to win the award,” said Gordon.
Tom Wilson, sports writer for the Lancaster Eagle Gazette has reported on Gordon’s athletic abilities and expressed his thoughts of Gordon’s athletic talents.
For his size, Jahmeir is one of the best running backs I have ever covered. Not only does he run hard – he rarely goes down on the first hit – but he has great vision, which makes him an outstanding runner. The sky is the limit for him next season, and I am expecting him to have a huge year. He will be one of the best running backs in the state. The great thing about Jahmeir is that he has always been very respectful and always says thanks for the coverage. I am looking forward to covering him next season,” said Wilson.
LHS now has a new head football coach for the 2026-2027 season. Wilson shared his thoughts about how a new coach will affect Gordon and his athletic training.
“As for the Gales getting a new coach, sometimes a new voice in the room is a good thing. He should focus on the offense around Jahmeir. Once the new coach sees his talent, I am sure he will understand he has to get Jahmeir the ball a lot, so I think it will be a good thing for Jahmeir,” said Wilson.
LHS teacher and former head coach Brain Schoonover said his hope for Gordon is for him to keep pushing to be the best player he is and that the new coach will only benefit him.
“My hope for Jahmeir is that he keeps focusing on getting better each and every day. I’m excited for him to play for Coach McKinney. He’s a really good coach and person and Coach McKinney is only going to help Jahmeir get better. I think Coach McKinney coming in is only going to be a benefit to Jahmeir and the other players in the program,” he said.
Some athletes experienced highs and Gordon had many. Gordon recalled one special accomplishment that he will always remember.
“Some of my most memorable highlights of my junior season was that in the Groveport game I had the only two touchdowns for our team, one passing and one rushing. I caught a 56 yard touchdown pass. I also had a good game week 2 against Dublin. I rushed for over 100 yards and almost 3 touchdowns. I only scored two,” he said.
Schoonover said Gordon stood out every time he stepped on the field.
“I think Jahmeir was great in just about every game he played in. Everyone knows who he is and focuses on trying to stop him. I’m most impressed though with his practice habits. Jahmeir practices harder than any player I’ve ever coached. He is full speed all the time so when games come around he makes a lot of really difficult things look very simple,” said Schoonover.
Gordon said the struggles he faced this past season included the disappointment of the team’s losses and injuries. He said these challenges drove him to play at his highest level.
“Some struggles were my five-game losing streak. We had some players not available, so it was a lot on me to try and play my best and put the team on my back,” said Gordon.
With the 2025 season completed, he is now focusing on the future. Gordon is committed to improving for his senior season by working hard during the off-season to improve his skills and come back stronger and more competitive on the field.
“I want to improve this off season because of my weight. I’m only 171 pounds. I wanna get a little bigger to like 180 and get faster than I am right now,” he said.
There are many reasons that athletes begin playing a sport; passion, love of the game, the drive to push themselves to achieve their goals, or discovering the sport at a young age. These things keep Gordon motivated through every practice and game.
“I have been playing football since I was four years old. Ever since I was little I loved throwing footballs and catching them so I started playing and ever since I just had a love for the game. It also was something to separate me from everyone else I was from and keep me out of trouble and keep me active and now I have just one more guaranteed year of football and it’s very bittersweet,” he said.
Gordon has set goals for his upcoming senior season and what he wants his life to look like after high school.
“My goal for next season is to win first team all state. I want to rush for over 2,000 yards next year, I also want to go to college and play D1 or D2 football. I also want to start a construction company when I get older, also something I wanna go to college for,” Gordon said.
