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By Ray Hamill — In his own words, former Eureka Logger Shyloh Nicholson wants to play football at “the highest level I can get to.”

Nicholson certainly appears to have the work ethic to accomplish that goal as he gets set for his sophomore season at Shasta College.

After starting every game on the offensive line for the Knights in 2022, the 6-feet-6, 300-pound right tackle admits he thought about transferring this past offseason.

After the disappointment of a 4-6 campaign had settled, however, Nicholson decided he would be better served playing a second season in Redding.

“I was kind of thinking of transferring at one point,” he said. “And then I thought how staying here another year would benefit me as far as knowing the system.”

He also believes this year’s team will be much improved.

“I’m very confident,” he said. “I think we’re going to have a great season. It looks like we have a solid recruiting class and the whole offensive line is returning except the left tackle.”

As a sophomore, Nicholson also will be better prepared for the speed and level of the college game, and that’s not the only thing that will be easier this year.

“It was very hard to get used to the heat at first,” he said of last season. “But it was fun once I got used to it and back in the rhythm of football.”

Nicholson believes Shasta is “a great fit” and is spending this summer in Redding taking some summer classes for more credit.

And it will come as no surprise to anyone who followed his high school career that this work-out enthusiast has been putting in extra work ahead of the team’s first practice on Aug. 1.

“I’ve been working really hard, really trying to push myself to become a better at football and better at everything I can,” he said.

Nicholson hopes to transfer to one of the top programs on the West Coast after his time at Shasta and has eyes on programs like Oregon State, UCLA and Montana State.

And to get there, he knows he has to continue to work hard and continue to improve on his game this season.

“I’m hoping to have one of my best seasons ever and to have a great time doing it,” he said. “And hopefully get picked up by a big school.”

The 2022 Eureka High graduate also believes his time with the Loggers helped prepare him for the structure of playing for a college program.

“I’d say the thing that really helped me was the coaches and the players,” he said of his tine at Eureka. “They really bonded in the weight room. At Eureka High every day we were in the weight room and having structure, and having that structure in high school really helped.”

The Knights scrimmage at Southern Oregon on Aug 19 and open the new season at Reedley on Sept. 2.

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