Photo by Chris Todd

By Robert Wilson

Senior forwardTanner Nichols led Madison Central to two of the greatest seasons in boys soccer in school history.

Nichols scored 20 goals with nine assists and carried the Jaguars to a 21-0-2 record and its second consecutive MHSAA Class 7A state championship, a No. 1 ranking in Mississippi and a No. 4 ranking in the country by MaxPreps.

He had 13 goals and seven assists and led Madison Central to a 17-3-1 record and the 7A state title and a No. 1 ranking in Mississippi and No. 3 ranking in the country last season as a junior.

For his outstanding performances on and off the field in his career, Nichols has been awarded the Mississippi Gatorade Boys Soccer of the Year.

Nichols is the third Madison Central boys soccer player to win the award, joining two-time winner Ridge Brohaugh (2013-14 and 2015-16) and Bryson Moore (2004-05). 

Nichols is the second Madison Central athlete to win a Mississippi Gatorade Player of the year this school year, joining Alex Lee for girls cross country. 

Photo by Brad Bridges

Nichols is the first Madison Central boy athlete to win a Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year since Braden Montgomery won baseball in 2021-2022 season. Montgomery is now playing Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox.

Nichols, a Meridian Community College signee, maintained an A grade point average and was a member of Madison Central’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach at Mississippi Rush and Brilla. He has also donated his time to multiple community service initiatives through his church congregation at Pinelake Church. 

“Tanner has been a dedicated member of the Madison Central soccer program for four years,” said Madison Central soccer coach Seth Male, who was promoted from assistant to head coach after this season, replacing Cecil Hinds. “He earned a spot on the varsity team as a sophomore and has been an integral part of our success ever since. While Tanner is an exceptionally skilled player, his greatest impact has come through his character and leadership. He served as a team captain during both his junior and senior years, leading our team to back to back state championships. As coaches, we could always rely on Tanner to do what is right and to inspire his teammates to hold themselves to the same standard. His work ethic in training was contagious and consistently translated into his performance on the field. Tanner has been our leading goal scorer over the two seasons and a major contributor to our team’s success. We are also so proud of this accomplishment of winning the Gatorade Player of the Year. Tanner will be greatly missed, but his impact on the program will endure through the example he set and the mentorship he provided to younger players. His legacy is one of leadership, dedication and integrity.”

“We are extremely proud of Tanner for receiving this honor,” Madison Central athletic director and football coach Toby Collums said. “It not only sheds a positive light on our soccer program but also our athletic department as a whole.”

“Tanner is an extremely talented ball player that was at his best this season,” Northwest Rankin coach Chris Gardner said. “We had no answer for him. He is very deserving of the award.”

Nichols played basketball and ran track but decided to focus on soccer starting his sophomore year. 

Nichols is the son of Robyn and Jason Nichols. Robyn played basketball and soccer and was a cheerleader at Neville High in Monroe and graduated from LSU. Jason played baseball and football at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, attended LSU and graduated from Belhaven. Nichols’ brother Thomas played baseball and football at Madison Central High and baseball at Hinds Community College and brother Jude plays basketball, track and field and football at Rosa Scott and will be a sophomore at Madison Central this fall.