Journal Photo By Jordan Wald
By Rubin E. Grant
When Sarah Gordon was a freshman, Vestavia Hills High School girls basketball coach John David Smelser had to beg her to shoot.
Obviously, Gordon heeded his request.
On Jan. 3, Gordon, now a 5-foot-11-inch senior forward, scored 17 points in a 41-26 victory against Hartselle to surpass 2,000 points for her high school career.
She became just the second Vestavia Hills girls player to reach the milestone, joining Emma Smith, who accomplished the feat while playing for the Rebels from 2017-2022. Smith is now a junior guard at the University of Denver. “I am thankful that the Lord blessed me with the love for basketball and my accomplishments would not be possible without Him,” Gordon says. “Surpassing 2,000 points and becoming the all-time leading scorer in program history would not have been possible without my teammates and coaches. I am thankful for such an amazing team and the bond that we all have.”
Gordon entered the final week of January with 2,076 career points. She was averaging 20 points a game this season, while shooting 44 percent from three-point range. She also was collecting 7.4 rebounds per game. “This is an incredible achievement for Sarah,” Smelser says. “She is playing the best basketball she has played in her career. I am most proud of the way she plays the game. She is tough and plays extremely hard. She takes good shots and is unselfish.”
Smelser continues, “She has great teammates who have been able to get her the ball and create opportunities for her to score. This is more than an individual accomplishment. I would be willing to bet that over 75 percent of those points came off of an assist from someone. She has been fortunate to play alongside some really good players.”
Gordon has a knack for scoring, Smelser adds, “Sarah has a quick release and a deep range. She is also 5-11, which helps her shoot over people. She understands spacing and how to get open and make herself available. She is one of the best shooters in our state, if not the best. But she can also score inside. She has a high field goal percentage from just about everywhere on the court. She scores a lot with her back to the basket in the post. She can also score slashing to the rim. Her ability to offensive rebound has generated even more points for her. She is a complete player.”
Gordon helped the Rebels post a 24-2 record, entering the final week of the regular season. She can’t believe her high school career is winding down. “My senior year has been going good,” Gordon says. “It’s going by very fast so I’m trying to take in every moment, especially with it being near the end of basketball season.”
Gordon is headed to the University of Pennsylvania to play in college. “I was blessed to receive an offer to go to Penn last summer,” she says. “My decision to go to Penn was difficult because of how far away it is from home, but I felt the offer was too great to pass up because of the amazing education I will get as well.”
She continues, “Coach (Mike) McLaughlin and the whole staff made me feel at home, and I am excited to become a part of their family. My parents have been very supportive of me and none of this would have happened without them.”
Smelser believes the Quakers are getting a player with a bright future. “Penn is getting a weapon,” he says. “Her ability to stretch the floor is something that is invaluable at the college level. She will thrive in their system. But Sarah is much more than basketball. She is a great kid. She comes from a great family. She is always respectful and knows what hard work looks like. She is a competitor and a winner. She is the type of player/person who will change a program immediately.”
