BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — Jordan Nichols didn’t start the play, but he certainly finished it.
During Weslaco High’s Week 2 matchup against long-standing rival Donna High at Bennie La Prade Stadium, points were predictably at a premium. Late in the third quarter, the Panthers clung to a 14-13 lead as Donna, led by quarterback Edward Dougherty, marched past midfield.
Then it happened.
As Dougherty ran a keeper toward the left side of the field, he was stripped by Weslaco’s Edward Salinas near the 40-yard line. As the ball bounced aimlessly along the turf, Nichols, a junior middle linebacker, scooped it up and ran roughly 60 yards for the touchdown that propelled the Panthers to their 28-13 win.
His teammates were rightly elated. Weslaco’s vaunted defense thrives on takeaways and big plays. But while Nichols received a litany of congratulations on the sidelines, his mind was elsewhere.
“I was more worried about my leg,” Nichols said. “It was cramping pretty bad. It had been cramping a couple of plays earlier, and I felt it as I ran the ball back. I guess I just need to be sure and drink more water during games.”
Though his hydration habits need improvement, Nichols has been among the best defensive players of the young football season. His 25 tackles tie him with teammate Anthony Garza for most on the team, and in addition to his game-changing touchdown against Donna, he also grabbed an interception which turned into a scoring drive against Harlingen South during 28-24 Week 1 win.
“I told him that next time, he needs to get a pick-6,” Weslaco coach Tony Villarreal said. “Just go up there, get the ball and take it all the way to the house. He’s going to be our leading scorer if he keeps that up.”
It’s no coincidence Nichols can often be found wherever the ball is. The Panthers defense is built on stopping the run, with defenders swarming the unfortunate soul tasked with carrying the rock. Though Nichols possesses strength and passion when he competes, his play is the antithesis of reckless. Rarely is a move made without premeditation.
“He studies the film, and he already knows the personnel of the other teams,” Villarreal said. “If he sees the running back lined up in a certain spot, he’s already aiming towards him. He’s not very fast, so he makes his moves when he can to give himself an advantage. Other linebackers will just sit there and wait for the play to happen.”
Despite being only a junior, coaches and players describe Nichols as the quarterback of the defense. During games, he barks at his teammates, relaying reads and making sure his teammates are in perfect alignment.
“He’s the glue on that side of the ball,” Weslaco defensive coordinator Russ Moore said. “He holds everything together, and the kids all rally around him. He’s such a leader for us.”
Moore, in his seventh season as the Panthers DC, has known Nichols since he played little league ball. Moore was aware of Nichols’ skill set, but was skeptical when Nichols pleaded to make the jump from the freshman team to the varsity level as a sophomore.
“Rarely does something like that happen,” Moore said. “But last year, we put him in against Donna, and I could tell right away he was going to be doing special things for us. He did everything we asked him to do.”
Despite his youth, Nichols’ learning curve was lessened by playing alongside Brandon Torres, a senior middle linebacker who showed the upstart Nichols the ropes of Weslaco’s defense.
“We never really talked a lot in school,” Nichols said. “But when we were out on the field during practice, we were always together. He taught me a lot, whether it was reads or alignment. I never left a practice without learning something from him.”
With Torres graduated, Nichols finds himself as the unquestioned man in the middle for the Panthers.
“We expect a lot of big things from him,” Moore said. “It’s going to be fun to watch him play the next two years.”
