Over the past two football seasons, the Union Titans have gone went 24-3, with one loss against a California power and the other two coming against the team that won seven state titles this decade.
For Southwest Washington, Union was the dominant team, with a dominant defense, and a dominant leader.
Taylor Nelson, for his near-perfect play at the linebacker position, is The Columbian’s All-Region football player of the year for the second year in a row. (Oh, he also was the best tight end in the 3A Greater St. Helens League.)
College future: “I’m just kind of waiting to see right now. I’ve sent out a lot of film to a lot of places. Hopefully something will come along.”
What does your faith mean to you? Nelson is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “It influences how I live my life. It impacts the choices I make every day. It’s a pretty big deal to me.”
What about the rumors of going to Brigham Young University? “I think I’d have to walk-on there. They got some (recruits) they did not think they were going to get so they might not have a lot of scholarships left.”
Advice to a younger player: “Lift weights and start working early because it gives you so much of an advantage. And savor every moment playing high school football because it’s so fun.”
Thoughts on being named player of the year again: “I’m very honored to get it. I don’t necessarily think of myself as the best player in the region. Football has been my life so it’s good to be rewarded for it because I’ve worked so hard for it.”
What was it like playing for Union this year? “We wanted to prove we were a good football team every year and not just a one-year thing. We had a chip on our shoulder. We play football a certain way, and it’s not going to change just because we were good last year.”
Most memorable moment of the season: Last year, Bellevue beat Union 35-6 in the championship game. This year, the teams played in the semifinals. Bellevue’s first play from scrimmage came on Union’s 16-yard line after a first-quarter fumble). The Titans stuffed the Wolverines on that play, and ended up holding them to a field goal. “Once we stopped them, I knew we were going to stop them all night. Just from that very first play. After last year, they seemed like a machine. ‘How are we going to stop those guys?’ After that, I knew.”
Bellevue would win the game 19-13, but the Wolverines failed to score an offensive touchdown. The Wolverines are 31-2 in state playoff games since 2001 and this was believed to be the first in those 33 games that Bellevue’s offense failed to score a TD.
What does football mean to you now? “Since I was little, I had always wanted to play football. Senior year, you start to realize how awesome it is to play high school football. Friday nights, the lights, and all the people coming to your games. You put so much effort into it. It impacts your life a lot.”
Most influential coach: “My dad (Eric). He coached me when I was little in basketball. He got me started in sports and helped me take it seriously. He knows what it takes to be good. That carried over into football.”
Surprising thing to learn about the Titans: “Our team is goofy. I see all the other teams. I don’t know if they act tough or if they are tough. We just goofed around a lot. We listened to ‘Party in the USA’ by Miley Cyrus. I think it’s because we’re all such good friends that we had a really good bond.”
What is a goal, associated with your sport, that you would like to accomplish in the next few years: “I want to play Division I football somewhere. Maybe I’ll have to walk-on somewhere or transfer from a smaller school.”
What is a goal, not associated with your sport, that you would like to accomplish in the next few years: “Get used to living on my own in college life. That’s going to be pretty weird for me. My mom (Katherine) takes care of me pretty good.”
Other sports: Nelson plays basketball and runs the hurdles in track and field for Union.
What will you remember most from this season? “The last year with all my friends. Some of them, I’ve been playing with for nine years. Probably just remembering my experiences with them. It’s pretty special when you get to be with all your friends.”
