Nelson’s got the magic touch(down)
The crowd roars as number 26 sprints down the field, dodging Beverly Hills tacklers. Nearing the goal line, senior James Nelson Jr. sidesteps a defender and dives into the end zone. The football team leaps on the sidelines as Nelson celebrated his second touchdown of the game.
Transferring to Peninsula in his junior year, Nelson had to play on the junior varsity last year, following CIF rules. This year, however, Nelson has proved to be an integral part of the varsity squad.
“James has put the team on his back. He carries it the most for us,” senior Max McHugh said. “We know he’s going to give us good yards each carry.”
As the team’s main back, Nelson Jr. has put up impressive numbers this season. In a 35-7 victory over Beverly Hills, he rushed for 164 yards on 21 carries. He also scored two touchdowns with runs of 13 and seven yards. Nelson followed that with a 132 yard performance and another two touchdowns against Lawndale.
Perhaps the most exciting moment of his season happened versus Lawndale. On the team’s first possession, Nelson rumbled through the line and raced for an 88-yard touchdown run.
“It was unbelievable. The line opened up some big holes and I just took off,” Nelson said.
Against Leuzinger, he received the kickoff at the nine yard line. In a dash, Nelson raced past the defenders and returned the ball 91 yards for a touchdown.
The team relies on Nelson to take pressure off of junior quarterback Ian Escutia, and he has done exactly that, averaging 90 yards per game.
“With James doing so well, my job becomes a lot easier. We can just hand off to him and let him go to work,” junior quarterback Ian Escutia said.
Nelson leads the entire Bay League in rushing yards, having run for 357 total yards this season. He has also scored 32 total points.
“I’ve just tried to work hard and get better from last season,” Nelson said. “I’m trying to help my team win as much as we can.”
The football team certainly looks poised to collect a few more wins this season, with the ball in the hands of their star runningback, James Nelson Jr.
