He is a city kid who stayed home.
Stories of big-time athletes moving out of their hometowns in search of more notoriety and glory elsewhere are countless. But gifted sophomore guard Micah Gordon wanted to play for Plainfield High School, like his father, Cardinals head coach Mike Gordon Jr. (class of 2004), his grandfather, Mike Gordon Sr. (class of ’79), and his mother, Alterneice Anderson (class of 2002).
Micah has gone right to the front of his family legacy.
Gordon led his team to state Group 4 championship and Union County Tournament titles, and helped the Cardinals earn a share of the Union County Conference Watchung Division title with Non-Public B state champion Roselle Catholic. Plainfield finished 29-3 and Gordon is the 2024-25 Courier News Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Gordon’s father was named the 2003-04 Courier News Player of the Year when the Cardinals made the state Group 4 final, and his grandfather was a starter for late revered coach Rico Parenti when the team won the 1979 county tournament. His mother was an infielder on the Cardinals’ softball team and ran track and played basketball in middle school.
“I like my family legacy a lot. They left it all on the floor to create something for me to live up to,” Micah Gordon said. “My grandfather won a county title at Plainfield, and I said I needed to get one as well. My dad did not win states (Plainfield was beaten in the final by Lenape), so I had to make up for it by getting him one as a coach.”
Team milestones is what drives the youngest Gordon most, but some of his individual feats should not be ignored. He is now tied for eighth place with Andre Dabney (1999-’02) on the all-time Cardinals scoring list with 1,076 points. Derrick Johnson (1986-’90) is No. 1 at 1,649. Gordon is in good position to become the first Cardinal to reach 2,000 points for a program that goes back to the 1800s.
Gordon, however, will tell you what counts is number 5, which is the number of state titles Plainfield owns. And the number 6, which is the state title they will be chasing next season.
“Micah plays the game from the shoulders up, he really understands what he needs to do to make his team successful,” said Elizabeth coach Phil Colicchio, whose team was 1-3 against Plainfield this season after winning the state Group 4 title last season. “Not many kids can do that. In the finals (against Montgomery) he understood that he needed to score for his team to win. When we played each other in sectional finals he played a different game. He did not look to score but he got the same results a win.”
Gordon scored a game-high 24 points in the 65-48 state final victory. Senior teammate NaJai Hines thrilled the crowd with two dunks. But the biggest crowd reaction may have come when the 6-foot Gordon exhibited a two-handed slam for a 43-30 lead late in the third quarter.
“Truth be told, Gordon was a lot better in person then on film,” said Montgomery coach Kris Grundy. “His speed was amazing, and his body control in the paint. He plays so under control.”
His teammates sensed a big game from Gordon was coming.
“He’s never scared of the moment,” said senior Ala-meen Watkins. “He stays levelheaded, he’s our best scorer and makes the right plays and when it really matters.”
He also knows the importance of being unselfish. When Hines became eligible January 1 after transferring in from South Garner High School (N.C.), there was never a question of rivalry inside the team.
“It really wasn’t hard because ‘Jah’ (Hines) is a likable person, so he fit right in with us and everyone just always felt his presence,” said Gordon.
One of the key roles Gordon played was keeping his teammates together. They understood how talented Hines, the 6-foot-10 center, was, and transition was seamless. The Cardinals expected to be a very good team without Hines, but they became a very special team with him —and of course that sophomore point guard.
“Micah is very unselfish,” Mike Gordon said. “Adding Hines took a lot of focus off Micah. Najai’s dominance drew a lot of attention. Micah is a pure point guard, who has the ability to score. He did whatever it took to win.”
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Boys basketball: Plainfield’s Micah Gordon is CN Player of the Year
