Linebacker Jordan Palmer, right, has been a big-time playmaker for the Whiteland defense over his first two seasons.
Daily Journal file photo
When Whiteland has needed a big play, it has often been able to count on Jordan Palmer to deliver.
The linebacker came up with a pick-six on the first play from scrimmage as the Warriors beat Martinsville to avenge their lone regular-season loss of 2022. Two weeks later, he scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 19-yard run in a victory over Plainfield. Then, in a Class 5A sectional final, Palmer extinguished the last flicker of hope for Terre Haute South by intercepting a fourth-quarter pass.
Palmer, who also forced four fumbles and led the team with 106 tackles last season as a sophomore, seems to always be in the right place at the right time. But that doesn’t happen by chance, he says; it’s a direct byproduct of his preparation during the week.
“Honestly, I think that’s all just film work,” Palmer said. “Knowing their formation, keys, stance, stuff like that.”
Whiteland coach Darrin Fisher agrees. He notes that Palmer has good speed, but he makes himself faster by knowing where he needs to be in any given situation.
“His ability to read his key and attack and finish; that is his best asset,” Fisher said. “It takes him a split second to diagnose what’s happening. He watches a ton of film, participates in the building of the scouting report. He strengthens our team every day by watching the film, knowing the formation tendencies, knowing the personnel tendencies, and he’s able to attack those very fast.”
Palmer has been a mainstay on the Warrior defense since entering high school. Even on a 2022 squad that was loaded with seniors and good enough to reach the 5A state championship game, Palmer was a freshman starter, contributing 85 tackles and an interception.
He’d always had the physical talent, but going through that first season with such a veteran group proved invaluable.
“I learned everything that year,” Palmer said. “That year showed me how to be a leader, showed me how to be a good teammate, showed me what hard work looked like, dedication. It was a very good season.”
Now an upperclassman with 26 varsity starts under his belt, Palmer is the one being looked up to by younger and less experienced teammates. In addition to being leaned on for leadership as a team captain, though, he’s also going to be counted on more and more by the coaching staff.
Palmer got some action at fullback last season, carrying the ball 24 times for 173 yards and a touchdown. Fisher expects to put the ball in his hands more frequently this fall.
It’s a good way to win football games — put your playmakers in position to make plays. And in all phases of the game, Palmer is indeed a playmaker.
College coaches have started to notice — well, the ones who pay attention, anyway. Palmer isn’t a physical freak who will stand out from the crowd at a scouting combine; his measurables aren’t going to compare favorably to the four- and five-star recruits that power conference schools covet. But those willing to look beyond vertical leaps and 40-yard dash times, Fisher says, will be rewarded for their diligence.
“Jordan’s going to need somebody to watch the tape and watch him play football,” he said. “He’s not 6-foot-3, he’s not 240 pounds. He’s only 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds right now. They’ve got to project him onto the field as a player, and that’s kind of what we’re waiting on. Some schools recruit only to a metric; some schools watch players play ball. That’s who we’re dealing with right now.”
“The people that watch the tape say, ‘Wow, that dude can play.’”
Don’t believe him? Just watch.
2024 SCHEDULE
Date;Opponent;Time
Aug. 23;Jeffersonville;7 p.m.
Aug. 30;at Kokomo;7 p.m.
Sept. 6;at Decatur Central;7 p.m.
Sept. 13;Franklin;7 p.m.
Sept. 20;Perry Meridian;7 p.m.
Sept. 27;at Martinsville;7 p.m.
Oct. 4;Mooresville;7 p.m.
Oct. 11;at Plainfield;7 p.m.
Oct. 18;Greenwood;7 p.m.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Coach: Darrin Fisher
Last season: 7-5, lost at Decatur Central in Class 5A regional
Who’s back?: WR/DB Kayden Blankenship, K Ethan Boone, OL Kaden Fleming, FB/LB Connor Grismer, WB/DB Elliot Massingale, OL Jonah McIntosh, DL Ayden Shaffer, QB Oliver Taylor, WB/LB Hank Trimble, RB Slate Valentine and OL Kaden Willoughby, seniors; OL/DL Jason Branscum, OL/LB Abe Gonzalez, OL/DL Jason Guevara, TE/LB Zander Hite, DB Jake Klemme, LB Ian Lewis, FB/LB Jordan Palmer, K Noah Pope, DB Clayton Ratliff, WR/DB Eli Taylor, OL/DL Henry Teagardin and TE/LB Peyton Williams, juniors
New faces to watch: OL/DL Luke Grismer, OL/DL Nick Hamilton, OL/DL Evan Scudder, DB Jonah Upchurch and WR/LB Eli Zehr, juniors; OL/DL Cristian Hayden, RB/LB Omar Ndoye, OL/DL Camden Williams and WB/DB Braydon Yates, sophomores
What to expect: After trotting out a very young team in 2023, Fisher now has 26 lettermen back, including seven returning starters on each side of the ball. Valentine is the state’s top returning rusher (1,940), and he’ll have the benefit of running behind a veteran offensive line with three starters back, including all-conference pick McIntosh. Taylor should show improvement at quarterback with a year under his belt.
Palmer (106 tackles, three interceptions, four forced fumbles) is a playmaking force at linebacker and should also see more touches at fullback; Ratliff, Shaffer, Klemme and Lewis combined to make 190 tackles last fall. The key for Whiteland’s defense will be establishing itself up front to avoid being exploited by power running teams; out in space, they should be very strong. The schedule is daunting, especially in league play, but it should help prepare the Warriors for a difficult sectional that now includes Mid-State rivals Decatur Central and Plainfield. Fisher likes what he’s seeing from his team in the preseason; the trick now is making that translate into wins.
