High-School Stars Leave Area -- Mariner High's Teyo Johnson And Amon Gordon, Considered Top Recruits In Football, Will Transfer To San Diego For Senior Season

EVERETT - It was just another blase night weightlifting, getting ready for the upcoming football season, until Mariner High School Coach John Ondriezek's top two players strolled in and confirmed his fears.

Teyo Johnson, a quarterback/defensive end, and Amon Gordon, running back/linebacker, are leaving the school and the state.

Two of the nation's top recruiting prospects, who played significant roles last season when Mariner was Class 3A state runner-up in football and placed third in the state basketball tournament, are relocating to San Diego for their senior year. They plan to attend Mira Mesa High School and play football and basketball there.

Gloria Johnson, Teyo's mother, said the family had been thinking of moving to San Diego for some time, and a potential shift in resources at Edmonds Community College put her job there in jeopardy. And Oby Johnson, Teyo's father, is closing a lumber business in Bellingham because he is losing his lease on the property.

Gordon, who is close friends with Johnson, will join them, Gloria Johnson said.

Normally the news would be shocking - the Marauders leave for a three-day camp on Whidbey Island on Aug. 23 - but a coach in Oregon relayed a rumor of the move to Ondriezek a week ago and talk of the transfers is scattered throughout various prep recruiting Internet sites. Johnson and Gordon waited until they returned to town Monday to tell tell their coach.

"I wish I would have heard it from them first and not through a college coach," Ondriezek said. "It's disappointing."

Dexter Griffen, the Mariner basketball coach, was told Tuesday, after returning from vacation.

"I didn't know what to think," Griffen said. "I was already thinking about holes we needed to fill because we lost so many seniors. . . . They were our only returning starters."

Johnson, 6 feet 7, 245 pounds, was a three-sport star at Mariner. In 13 games with a run-oriented offense, he passed for 1,190 yards and nine touchdowns. He also rushed for six touchdowns, and started at defensive end.

In basketball, Johnson averaged 17 points and 13 rebounds, helping Mariner topple defending state champion Rainier Beach 65-47 en route to third place in the state tournament. He was chosen tournament MVP after averaging 11.3 rebounds and a tournament-best 22.8 points.

Johnson qualified for state in track but didn't compete because of summer basketball tournaments.

Gordon (6-4, 240) was Mariner's leading option on offense in football and rushed for more than 1,000 yards besides starting at linebacker. He also was the Marauders' second-leading scorer in basketball behind Johnson.

Both were ranked among the nation's top 100 football recruits, and Johnson is touted as one of the country's top 30 basketball and football recruits.

At last report, he was only considering schools that would consider letting him play both sports. Some of those schools are believed to be Notre Dame, Florida State, Stanford, Penn State, UCLA, USC and Washington.

Gordon wants to concentrate on football in college and is being looked at by many Division I programs, including Washington, Florida State, USC, Michigan, Notre Dame, Stanford and Auburn.

Neither is new to San Diego.

They played summer basketball for High Five America, based in San Diego. And they played in the Nike Summer National Basketball Championships last Tuesday through Friday.

Because of the basketball team relationship, Ondriezek doesn't think California is a new idea.

"They definitely have had contact with people in the (San Diego) area in the last year," Ondriezek said.

Neither Johnson nor Gordon could be reached for comment.

Bagley said neither Johnson nor Gordon had withdrawn from Mariner. Classes begin Sept. 1 and Bagley said the families could ask for transcripts any time this month.

Bagley said he didn't know the exact details of Gordon's transfer. But, Bagley said, Gordon's mother, Ava, is not expected to move to California.

"Any time student-athletes of Amon and Teyo's caliber leave, it's a loss to the student body," Bagley said. "But we'll pick up the pieces and move on. It's a family decision and they are trying to do what's best for their kids."