The562’s coverage of football in 2024-25 is sponsored by The Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase.
The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
The Jordan Panthers open up their season at North Torrance on Friday in a rematch of what was their highest-scoring game a season ago. J-Town defeated North 59-24 in that season-opening game, and they haven’t lost a season opener since 2019.
Jordan is coming into the season after finishing 7-4 last season, landing fourth in the Moore League while making an at-large bid into the CIF-SS Division 7 playoffs. The Panthers fell in a tough first-round matchup at Chino, however, it was the first playoff berth for coach Jon Nielsen, who looks to continue to build in his third year.
“We just gotta continue building,” said Nielsen. “It’s taken three years to get here, and we’ve gotten rid of the kids that don’t wanna be here. It’s taken a while, but now the group of kids we have out here want to work, and we’re excited for that.”
Quarterback J.J. Nielsen is looking to kick off his senior campaign in a similar fashion to last year, when he went 30/37 with 548 yards and five touchdowns against North. He’ll look to make connections with new receivers John Lim and Marquice Horton, while Kalib Tautolo will be on everyone’s radar as the fresh face at running back.
Despite the opening loss last year, the Saxons finished 8-4 with a perfect 5-0 record in the Pioneer League. It was their first time winning the league since 2019, and they haven’t had a losing season since 2011.
The two face off at North Torrance on Friday, with kickoff set for 7 p.m..
