MARK MOLINA | Staff Writer
WESLACO — The Weslaco Panthers have had a rough start to their season as they have traded wins and losses during the first three weeks.
Despite early struggles, their defense has not flinched a bit and has retained its confidence due in large part to linebackers Brandon Michael Torres and Jordan Nichols.
For Torres, who was an All-District and All-Valley linebacker selection in 2013, it’s all about weekly preparation.
“I think we have a great defensive unit. We run a very adjustable defense, Torres said. “Every week I like to think of it as a different kind of defense with all the adjustments we make. We’re flexible and strong.”
For Nichols, a first-year varsity sophomore, the system allows them a chance to hang with anyone.
“We’re flexible; we can challenge any type of offense and I’m pretty sure we can shut them down,” Nichols said.
This season, the duo has been the pulse of the Panthers defense.
If you ask head coach Tony Villarreal, it is like having the same athlete out there twice, only one is an experienced veteran and the other is young and still learning.
“Brandon Torres was All-District his sophomore year and All-Valley last year as a junior; that’s pretty special,” Villarreal said. “He brings a lot of leadership and cohesiveness to this team. If you look at Nichols, you’ll notice that they look the same — like a carbon copy. Only Nichols is every bit as good as Torres was when he was a sophomore. Those are two linebackers that complement each other and are the heart of our defense.”
Nichols will admit that the defensive scheme has come very fast for him, but has picked up on it rather quickly, especially with Torres as a mentor and brother.
“It’s an honor to play with (Torres). I really couldn’t think of any other guy to play with,” Nichols said. “He’s helped me with everything about being a linebacker and is also one of my closest friends.”
Torres has seen a lot of players come and go during the last three seasons, but doesn’t think that any come close to Nichols.
With such an eager young mind, Nichols is the ideal player to pass the torch to.
“I’ve been around the program a little while and I’ve seen a lot of kids; some were underclassmen and some upperclassmen, but none of them work as hard as this kid right here,” Torres explained. “He’s willing to learn, sacrifice and anything just to win. I’m his big brother, he’s my little brother and I want to teach him everything that I know. I want to see him excel. I set the bar and I want him to break the bar.”
As a pair, they can both cover a lot of field at linebacker and have a good read on what the offense is doing.
With such an understanding of the game, Torres feels that operating alongside Nichols takes some of the weight off of defensive coordinator Ross Moore’s shoulders.
“Coach Moore can trust us so much. We can play both positions and play them well, we know how to read and adjust in midgame,” Torres said.
Now, they will need to prove that their chemistry can lift the defense up during a big-game situation when they face a tough running attack from the Harlingen Cardinals this Friday night in a game where both teams are looking to get a win before district play.
Torres has seen his share of downs and Nichols will try and draw focus from that.
“I know we can do better and our offense will step up. We need to shut down the pass and the run,” Nichols said. “I’m learning I need to focus on the next week and not rely on the past.”