The Wekiva High School football program took another step forward Friday night during its annual Maroon and Gold game with a new coaching staff, a new mindset and a competitive spring underway. 

The intrasquad scrimmage, held on campus, served as both a spring evaluation and a preview of the direction first-year head coach Ashton Watts wants to take the Mustangs program. 

The Gold team walked away with a 6-0 victory after a touchdown pass as time expired, capping off a defensive battle that Watts said created exactly the kind of atmosphere the coaching staff hoped for. 

“Literally no time left on the clock,” Watts said. “It was a touchdown pass in the red zone, so that was pretty exciting. That’s kind of why we did it the way we did it. We wanted to create an exciting moment. We knew it wasn’t going to be like a high-scoring thing.” 

While the score stayed low, Watts said the coaching staff was encouraged by the energy, competitiveness and growth shown throughout the night. 

“I think it went pretty well,” Watts said. “We saw a lot of improvements. It was cool to see guys in a competitive light. We do our best to do some competitive stuff every day during practice, but to see them get after it in a game atmosphere was great.” 

The event also served a larger purpose beyond football. 

Watts said one of the biggest goals since arriving at Wekiva has been “recruiting the hallways,” encouraging athletes across campus to give football a chance during spring practices. The Maroon and Gold game allowed the program to showcase itself in front of the community while creating a family atmosphere around the team. 

Instead of charging admission, the program asked fans to donate Gatorade, water, snacks and other supplies. 

“It’s a good way to bring out fans and get the community involved,” Watts said. “It’s a family atmosphere. We wanted to make it a different atmosphere, and I think it’s something we need to do every year.” 

The second half featured situational football drills, including red zone and two-minute scenarios, allowing fans to see how the Mustangs prepare for real game situations. 

On the field, the defense consistently made plays throughout the scrimmage. Watts said multiple interceptions stood out because of the defensive unit’s aggressiveness and instincts. 

“We had a few interceptions in the game, and it wasn’t so much bad quarterback play,” Watts said. “It was just good breaks and good plays on the ball on the defensive side.” 

Despite the turnovers, quarterback Dominick Sanguine impressed the staff with his poise and ability to respond to adversity, eventually leading the game-winning drive. 

“There was still a lot of things that we saw that were really good with him,” Watts said. “Just management and kind of getting through the adversity, throwing the interception and then coming back and scoring the game-winning touchdown.” 

Watts also praised the development of Wekiva’s younger receivers and offensive line. 

“Our offensive line is slowly starting to get it together,” Watts said. “They’re a young group, but you can see them starting to gel up front.” 

The better offensive line play led to an improved rushing attack. 

“They’re starting to understand the downhill concept that we’ve been teaching,” Watts said. “Run behind your shoulder pads and be a force downhill and not worry so much about east and west.” 

For Watts, the biggest changes this spring have centered on accountability, discipline and attention to detail. 

According to Watts, the first few weeks under the new staff were tough, particularly with conditioning and implementing new standards across the program. But he believes the players have started to fully buy in. 

“We have to be disciplined on all facets, and we have to focus on little details,” Watts said. “We want to be extremely detail-oriented in everything we do, from the way we keep the locker room to the way that we hit the field at pre-practice.” 

Rather than tearing teammates down, Watts said the team has begun developing leadership through encouragement and accountability. 

“Guys are understanding how to be a leader,” Watts said. “Instead of beating somebody down because they’re not out of the locker room on time, it’s more, ‘Hey man, let’s go. We know we gotta go.’” 

Now, Wekiva turns its attention toward Friday night’s spring jamboree against Horizon and Leesburg High School, where the Mustangs will play two half-games. 

Watts, who is taking over a program that finished 1-9 last season, made it clear the approach will remain competitive. 

“We’re playing to win every game,” Watts said. “We want to show everybody that Wekiva is still a force and we’re not just going to be pushovers. We’re going to be out here, and we’re not just going to be competitive, we’re coming to win.” 

Beyond the scoreboard, Watts said the staff’s main focus is continuing to build a mindset capable of handling adversity. 

“We’ve been preaching ‘win the day,’” Watts said. “Adversity is going to come. It’s not something we can run away from. So we’re preparing them to not drop their shoulders, but be able to face those moments. We know if we can do that, we can win any game.” 

The spring jamboree kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday night.