Thus, Evans is the 2024 Times All-Area Football Team MVP.

As was the case with his team, it took Evans awhile to get in the groove this year. Nipomo finished 6-5-1 overall. The Titans started 0-3-1 before finally getting their first win of the season, 13-7 over Santa Ynez which was missing three key starters.

Evans was a first-year varsity player in 2024 and, “It took me three or four games to really get my confidence,” he said.  

“Until then, I felt pretty nervous. Plus, it took some time for the team to get comfortable too.”

Evans racked up a total of 695 yards and eight touchdowns during a late season four-game winning streak that netted the Titans the Ocean League championship and an upset win in the first round of the CIF Central Section Division 3 Playoffs.

In particular, Evans ran for 234 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-35 Nipomo win over Morro Bay in a regular season finale that capped a 4-0 Ocean League campaign for the Titans and gave them the outright league title.

No. 4 Morro Bay lost to No. 6 Selma in the Division 5 championship game.

After his huge game against Morro Bay, Evans followed up with 175 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries in No. 10 Nipomo’s 26-21 upset of No. 7 Bakersfield Independence in the first round of Division 3.

Evans ran for 159 yards and a score in a 21-13 win over Cabrillo in a match-up of two teams that were 1-0 in league play at the time. Finally, Evans netted 135 yards in 27 carries in a 17-14 win over Templeton that decided the league championship.

Only defensive stats for both teams were available in Nipomo’s 35-21 quarterfinals loss at No. 2 Madera. In the Central Section playoffs, the higher seed is the host team in each round.

Evans finished the season with 1,146 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 7.2 yards a carry and was the Ocean League Offensive Player of the Year.

“Nick is a very great team player,” said Nipomo coach Stephen Field.

“It doesn’t matter to him if he doesn’t get the ball. He just wants to do what’s best for the team.”

Field said, “He understands the game very well. He knows how to run behind his pads and his blockers. He has a really good combination of being patient but being devastating when he’s running downhill. He has an incredible work ethic. The most important thing is, he’s just an incredible teammate.”

After the Titans got that first win of the season, “Inch by inch, we got better,” said Evans.

Evans and Field both gave the Nipomo offensive line a lot of credit for Evans’ success. The unit consisted of Emi Toledo, Angel Almanza, Peyton Blume, Jeydon Tesoro, Ethan Ortiz, Christian Gonzalez and tight end Travis Barr.

When it came to rushing plays, “What we did depended on what the defense was doing,” said Evans. “If it was third-and-long and defenses were lined up toward the outside, we’d go toward the middle. If it was third-and-short and defenses were lined up toward the middle, we’d go wide.

“I couldn’t have gotten any yards if it wasn’t for the linemen.”

When it comes to possibly playing collegiate football, “If a big opportunity comes, of course I’ll take it, but I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Evans said.