Right at home on gridiron

Eli Gondo is familiar with moving, both on and off the football field.

After bouncing from state to state as a youth, he’s finally home in Post Falls, both for the past six years, as well as in his role as the starting tailback on the Post Falls High Trojans’ varsity football team.

Gondo’s father, Ed, is a retired military engineer, serving in the U.S. Army for 20 years before his retirement earlier this year.

“We’ve moved a lot, and were always moving when I was a kid,” said Eli Gondo, a 5-foot-9, 190 pound junior. “It was tough having to change schools and make new friends. Football was always something that made it easier for me. The friends that I’ve made are the friends I’ve played football with over the years. Having football has really helped me with making friends.”

Ed Gondo was a transportation engineer in the U.S. Army for eight years, then served as a chief transportation director for 12 years.

“I worked in heavy construction equipment,” Ed Gondo said. “It’s difficult because every three years, you move. Sometimes the kids like it because you get a new place to go to, but it’s difficult to make new friends. But it’s a challenge for us as parents.”

With his father getting transferred, it often meant a new home every new school year.

“Before we moved to Post Falls, it was at least once a year that we were moving,” Eli Gondo said. “I’ve been in (Fort Wainwright) Alaska, (Fort Collins and Fort Carson) Colorado, (Kansas City) Missouri and moved to three different houses since we’ve lived in Post Falls. We’ve been all over the place.”

Something that he had trouble with adjusting to his first few years of grade school. The Gondos have remained in Post Falls since 2012.

“I always felt like the new kid,” Eli Gondo said. “For you to feel like you belong somewhere, you have to be there a while. And I never felt like I had a place I could call my home. It’s nice to finally be in a place like that now.”

Ed has been deployed to serve overseas three times.

“He was gone for a year once, and then twice for about six months,” Eli Gondo said. “He’s been overseas a lot.”

Likewise, his family often picked up and moved as well.

“We did a lot of moving in and moving out of houses,” Eli Gondo said. “My parents were constantly moving, and then do renovations on the house a month later, then move again.”

Not that Eli complained about it.

“I kind of enjoyed it,” Eli Gondo said. “I got the chance to see a lot of things that kids don’t get to see. There’s some kids that never move from the place they were born, but I’ve seen a lot of different places.”

“The people here are great,” Ed Gondo said. “I’ve been to Iraq, Afghanistan and Australia. I’m glad that we don’t have to move anymore. We’re here, and that’s it. I grew up in Africa and lived there for 25 years before coming to America. The people here are very warming and I’m glad to be here.”

Eli Gondo estimates he’s visited at least half of the 50 states.

“I like the people here a lot more,” Eli Gondo said. “The people here are great. I’ve made friends really easy here. I like the school a lot. Once you live in a place for a few years, you really start to appreciate what you have.”

Gondo has three brothers — Noah, Isaac and Ameen — and two sisters, Aneesah and Amenya. Noah, Ameen and Aneesah all played soccer at Post Falls High.

“I loved it,” said Eli Gondo of having a big family. “I’ve always had someone to hang out with. I’ve never been alone and always had someone there with me, whether it was by brothers, sisters or parents.”

Playing soccer just wasn’t for Eli.

“I started playing football when I was really young,” Eli Gondo said. “My mom, it wasn’t something she thought I’d be good at. When I started playing, I just started to like it compared to other sports. I just always liked it.”

His love for football is something that has always baffled his mother, Sarah, a bit.

“Whenever she talked about it, she thought I was too nice to play football,” Eli Gondo said. “She didn’t think I’d want to go and hit anybody. To this day, she doesn’t know how I can do it. She doesn’t know how I can be so mean on the football field, but so nice outside of it.”

Gondo’s season came to a quick end as a sophomore, getting injured in the team’s junior varsity opener against Sandpoint. This season, with an increased workload on varsity, Gondo has 142 carries for 512 yards and 10 touchdowns. Seven have came in the Trojans’ last two games.

“I got bigger physically this year,” Gondo said. “Last year, I got injured in the first game, so I was definitely ready to come back and start playing again. It has really been building in my all year. Playing with some different guys has helped.”

Post Falls graduated 21 of 22 starters off last year’s team that advanced to the state 5A playoffs before bowing out in the first round to Rocky Mountain High of Meridian.

In the Trojans’ last game, at Lakeland on Sept. 21, Gondo rushed for 164 yards and four touchdowns.

“I’ve been trying to change the way I run a little bit,” Eli Gondo said. “Normally, I’m the type of guy that would rather run you over a little bit, but I’m trying to change that this year.”

Gondo added that he often doesn’t eat before a big game.

“I like to play on an empty stomach,” Eli Gondo said. “I don’t know why — maybe it’s nerves — but I just don’t eat before a game. When I do, I get sluggish, so I usually drink water before a game.”

When it comes to a pregame routine, Gondo often times puts on his headphones and relaxes in the locker room.

“I like to take a minute before a game and listen to some Christian music,” Eli Gondo said. “It just reminds me of who I’m playing for, who gave me the opportunity, and gets me focused on the game.”

Post Falls (2-3) opens 5A Inland Empire League play at Lake City on Friday.

“It really does take a team to win the game,” Eli Gondo said. “When you’re younger, you can have that one really good player and still win the game. As you get older, you realize that if everyone doesn’t play well as a group, then you’re going to do the same. Everyone has to do their part.”

“Eli has been running and working really hard for us all year,” Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett said. “He’s a great kid and really has improved over the offseason.”

“He’s shown a lot of leadership this year,” Ed Gondo said. “He’s just like me. When it comes to leading, he’s all business. And that’s what I’ve liked about watching him play this year.”

As far as future plans, Eli Gondo is considering a career as a physical therapist.

“You get a chance to work with athletes,” Eli Gondo said. “And I’ve had my share of injuries, so I’ve been to therapy a lot. I’m hoping to do that someday and go to college to do that. I don’t really care where I go, but just want to go.”

Even if it means packing up once again.