Jordan football coach Tim Wedlow is excited for the upcoming season, and is confident his Panthers have the manpower in the trenches that will let them take a dramatic step forward this season.
Jordan has improved steadily the last three seasons, from 0-10 in 2017 to 3-7 to last year’s 4-5 overall mark. But the Panthers finished 1-5 in league, well out of the playoffs, something Wedlow is hoping will change this season.
“I think we can finish in the top three if we can stay healthy,” he said. “We have some big lineman back which is going to make a big difference for us. We want to run the ball better. We’re much bigger and our numbers are better, which is going to let us compete in the Moore League at a higher level.”
The Panthers’ schedule is currently a nine-game slate, opening up with Fountain Valley, Sylmar, and Warren before diving into league play.
“Fountain Valley was a playoff team last year and we’re trying to find teams that have experience in the playoffs to help us get there, so we can see where we are,” said Wedlow. Sylmar is a program that’s struggled the last few seasons, which should give the Panthers a good chance to build some confidence.
“Warren is a fun game, that’s almost like a league game because of how close Downey is to our school,” said Wedlow. “They have a lot of talent, they’ll show us what we’ve got before league.”
Wedlow expects Poly to be the toughest challenge in league but wants to see his Panthers mix it up with Millikan, Lakewood and Wilson for in a race for the other two playoff spots. He points to his team’s upgraded numbers and linemen but also to much better depth at the skill positions.
“We have guys like Xavier Heard, he’s a 6-3 325 pound lineman on both sides of the ball for us, our offensive line is about 6-2, 6-3 across the board,” said Wedlow. “But we also have three running backs instead of the one we had last year.”
The team is very high on a Narbonne transfer, Keyshawn Abreu, who Wedlow expects to make a big impact on both sides of the ball and potentially take over as quarterback. The team also has Elijah Jones back at receiver and defensive back.
Wedlow has the program growing again, and points to the arrival of a coveted freshman as evidence that the Panthers are on track. Jordan landed the LBUSD middle school 100-meter champion, Jordan Washington, who ran the fastest All-City time for a middle schooler since 1970.
“He’ll make an impact right away for us, he’s very fast,” said Wedlow. “We’ve got things pointed in the right direction.”
Jordan Football 2020-21 Schedule
1/8 vs. Fountain Valley
1/15 vs. Sylmar
1/22 @ Warren
1/29 vs. Millikan
2/5 vs. Lakewood
2/12 @ Compton
2/19 @ Wilson
2/26 @ Cabrillo
3/5 vs. Poly
