6A

Cypress Lakes Spartans 2026 Season Preview

by
Adam Ogburn
July 22

Cypress Lakes Spartans

Head Coach: Tyrone Carter (3rd season; 10-12 record)

Last Season: 6-6; 4-3 in district (Lost to College Park in area round)

Returning Lettermen: 12 (3 returning starters on offense; 4 on defense)

Cypress Lakes Key Players and Storylines

The 2025 Cypress Lakes team etched its way into school history. In their 16th varsity season, the Spartans broke through and made the playoffs for the first time ever.

That long-awaited breakthrough has instilled plenty of belief in the locker room. Now, with just 12 returning lettermen, it’s up to the next generation of Spartans to build off that success.

They will have a new quarterback this year, but the receiving corps still has some firepower with deep threat Davion Griffin (222 receiving yards) and junior Arquaris Crowder (371 receiving yards and two touchdowns), “who’s nearly impossible to cover one-on-one.” Up front, 6’4”, 260-pound junior tackle Chase Mayes is a dominant force who is attracting Division I interest.

On the other side of the ball, the Spartans have some good experience in the front seven with linebacker Ja’Merce Johnson (54 tackles, 15 TFLs), the returning Defensive Newcomer of the Year, and returning starter defensive end Isidro Jimenez (15 tackles, eight TFLs). When other teams go through the air, they’ll have to navigate 6’0” cornerback Cameron Dumes, Cy Lakes’ best player in coverage.

Sophomore season was a blur. Next year I’m coming for more. It’s only up from here.
**MVP x2.
**Defensive Player of the Game
**Special Teams Player of the Game
**All District 1st team linebacker unanimous vote)
**All district defensive newcomer of the year 2025
10 games… pic.twitter.com/sY9Pz0IxGe

— Ja’Merce Johnson (@JaMerce2028) December 10, 2025

A lot of new players have new roles to learn this year, but they have plenty of drive to push the program even further. This tight-knit Spartans group will be desperate to prove last year wasn’t a fluke as they aim for a second-straight playoff appearance.