The Wekiva Mustangs enter the 2026 football season with a new-look roster and a renewed sense of purpose. Head coach Ashton Watts enters his 13th year of coaching and his first season at the helm of Wekiva, bringing with him nearly a decade of experience coaching at the high school level. He fits into a coaching staff that combines years of experience with familiarity inside the program. 

Watts began coaching in 2015 with Ocoee Pop Warner before moving on to West Orange and Ocoee high schools. He later spent five years as the offensive coordinator at Horizon before taking over at Wekiva. 

Now, Watts is leading a program coming off a one-win season and overseeing a significant roster overhaul. 

The work began in the spring and continued throughout the summer, with Watts saying the offseason seemed to pass more quickly than any he has experienced. 

“It’s just been a beautiful thing to enjoy the process and watch these guys grow from the spring,” Watts said. “I’m actually amazed with the growth that we’ve had from the spring, just in our mindset and our mentality. It just went by so fast.” 

That growth has been a major focus for Watts and his staff. 

Wekiva added eight varsity transfers during the offseason, while several returning players have taken on leadership roles. The Mustangs have also spent the summer competing in 7-on-7 events and preparing for the regular season. 

Watts just wants his players to focus on what they can control each day. 

“Come out, try to win each day, and get better every single day,” Watts said. “If we handle that part, you know, wins and everything else will fall in place. I’m not a prediction guy, but I believe if we put our focus in on winning and being successful every day in everything that we do, we will be successful.” 

Watts has plenty of experience around him to help deliver that message. 

Offensive line coach Alex Vasquez is entering his third season at Wekiva and has nine years of coaching experience. Vasquez also serves as the school’s head flag football coach. 

Defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Jerry Middleton brings 18 years of coaching experience to the staff. This will be his fourth year coaching at Wekiva, although it is his first year back with the program after spending the previous three years away. 

Middleton also serves as the head coach of Wekiva’s girls basketball team. 

Offensive coordinator Anthony Gay, known around the program as Coach Grant, enters his fifth year of coaching and his third season at Wekiva. He will be responsible for coordinating an offense that features several new playmakers, including senior quarterback Dominick Sanguine and a receiving corps led by a versatile senior core. 

Defensive line coach Steve Brandenburg provides some of the most extensive experience on the staff. Brandenburg is entering his 28th year of coaching and his eighth season at Wekiva. 

At wide receiver, Lamarcus Jackson enters his 10th year of coaching and his fifth season with the Mustangs. He will work with a group that has generated plenty of excitement during the offseason because of its combination of size and speed. 

Special teams coordinator Corey Brinson also brings extensive experience, entering his 27th year of coaching football and his fifth season at Wekiva. 

The staff also features two coaches entering their first seasons with the Mustangs. 

Brandin Hawthorne joins Wekiva as a linebacker and special teams coach after playing at the University of Michigan from 2009-12. Hawthorne has 13 years of coaching experience and adds a college playing background to a defensive staff tasked with developing a new group of players. 

Adrian Buie is entering his first season on the Wekiva staff. He has two years of coaching experience and will work with the inside linebackers while also assisting with the defensive ends. 

The mix gives Watts a staff with experience ranging from two years to nearly three decades in coaching, while several coaches already know what it takes to build within the Wekiva program.