Can La Salle’s Brett Gordon — now with his son Luke at starting QB — return the Explorers to Catholic League glory?

Running a Catholic League football powerhouse is day and night, says La Salle College High School coach Brett Gordon, and nowadays, it’s become even more challenging.

Gordon, who is entering his third season, values preparation and the philosophical approach that no individual is bigger than the team. Those were the lessons he learned from watching his father, Drew, a famed football coach who died on Sept. 4, 2023.

“I often find myself thinking back when I have decisions to make, saying, ‘What would either my dad have done here or what would he tell me to do in this situation?’” Gordon said.

It’s a different world than it was 20 years ago, when Brett came back to La Salle, his alma mater, as an offensive coordinator on his father’s staff.

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There’s another layer to being a coach at a school that’s considered to have one of the best football programs in Pennsylvania, and coming off Catholic League and PIAA Class 6A titles in 2025. College coaches are calling to recruit, several players want to be the next stars, and the outside attention can weigh on the players.

But then Gordon is reminded of the things that haven’t changed since he starred here as quarterback in the mid-’90s. It’s those players who show up to every game, and it’s why they wear “protect the brand” on the back of their practice shirts.

“I tell our players how lucky they are to be part of not just La Salle’s football program, but the La Salle community,” Gordon said. “The La Salle environment, both on gamedays, the following and support we feel here from our alumni base, the student body, so many people that pay so much attention to the success of our school. That was on full display the last couple years since I’ve been back involved as a coach.”

Gordon is aware that this year’s Explorers aren’t going to look like last year’s 13-1 state championship squad, which featured a star-studded senior class including Joey O’Brien (Notre Dame), Gavin Sidwar (Missouri), Grayson McKeogh (Notre Dame), John-Patrick Oates (Virginia Tech), and Desmond Ortiz (Brown), among others.

With at least seven seniors starting, there’s going to be a mix of sophomores and juniors getting more opportunities on the field this season, which officially kicks off against Paramus (N.J.) Catholic on Friday at Ocean City High School.

One of the new faces in a starting role will be quarterback Luke Gordon, Brett’s son, who is entering his junior year.

“He’s put in the work,” Gordon said. “The way the timing and transition has taken place for him, having an opportunity to come to La Salle, get his feet under him. He works hard in the classroom. He’s waited his turn, had some opportunities to get in a little bit last year. He’s chomping at the bit to get out and prove what he can do.”

Playing with the last name Gordon carries some weight at La Salle. But if there’s anyone who understands what it’s like to have a father as a coach, it’s Brett. Drew was an offensive coordinator while his son played.

“The coach and player dynamic, it’s certainly not easy,” he said. “I’m going to make my share of mistakes. I try to be as open as I can with him and communicate and do the best I can to separate, ‘Hey, I’m talking to you right now as coach,’ and then also making sure that I’m talking to him as dad. It’s certainly easier said than done. Something that I think about often, and I’m going to do the best I can to support him.”

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Football has bonded the Gordon family. It may not always be about La Salle, but there isn’t a day they don’t talk about football.

Luke appreciates his family’s legacy. Growing up around Villanova football, where both Brett and Drew had successful playing careers at quarterback, or watching college and NFL games together has connected them.

His hope is “to be maybe as good as [his dad] one day. I would love to have an opportunity to go play at some of the schools I could play at,” Luke said. “His legacy to me is something that I really cherish, and I want to keep carrying the name.”

First, his focus is on showcasing what he and this team can do. There are a lot of doubters out there, he said, after the Explorers graduated the bulk of their starters.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t just as talented. Guard Andrew Sorge, one of the team’s senior leaders, says the other schools “don’t know what’s coming.”

“We have a lot of young guys that are very talented and have gotten a lot better over the offseason, including guys that have played for us last year,” said Sorge, who is committed to Lafayette. “People have taken big steps, and I’m excited to see what we can do.”

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There’s a wave of newcomers looking to carry this team back to Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg to defend its 6A crown, but it’s a long road where La Salle will have to get through St. Joseph’s Prep and defending 5A champion Roman Catholic.

So what will be “this team’s rallying cry?” Gordon asks himself. He doesn’t know the answer, but for now, he tells his locker room to keep this in mind: “What is going to be the legacy of the 2026 team?

“In 30 years from now, when people think back, fans and yourselves, [who] were watching us play, and when the season ends, what are you going to be remembered for?” Gordon said. “Ultimately, the players are going to decide that, not me.”