Defending state champ Lake Mary features new faces | 6A District 3 football

Lake Mary head coach Scott Perry said last month that there is no chattering from his coaches about the Rams repeating as state champions. But don’t think for a second that his players aren’t thinking about it. They would love nothing more than to put another state championship trophy in the trophy case, although no team will ever win it in quite the way Lake Mary did last year. The Rams’ Hail Mary victory over Vero Beach in the Class 7A title game even made ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 plays of the day, Dec. 13, 2025. There’s a new bunch of Rams this year. Gone is quarterback Noah Grubbs, off to Notre Dame. Star receiver Barrett Schulz is at FIU. Running back Oshea Faison is at Colgate. Defensive end Oakley Foster is at Harvard. Leading tackler Patrick Ryan walked on at UCF. Defensive lineman Richie Crouse is at West Florida. Lake Mary earns 7A football state title on Hail Mary touchdown There were 32 seniors listed on last season’s Lake Mary roster. Not all contributed, but all are gone, making way for a new batch of Rams. The one new name most eyes will be on is junior quarterback Remy Jarman, a transfer from Edgewater. Jarman is a much different quarterback than Grubbs, starting with his size at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. Perry said he can do a lot of different things with Jarman due to his ability to run the football, and he is an accurate passer. “Remy is doing great. We love him. He runs the ball well, throws the ball well. He’s a great leader,” Perry said. “I’m excited to see what he can do.” The star everyone has heard of by now, after he scored the game-winning touchdown in the state title game, is Tavarius Brundidge Jr., an athlete who can do many things. He scored two touchdown in the spring game vs. Jones and will make plays all over the field. Opponents cannot key on Brundidge, however, with the addition of speedy transfer Cole Emanuel, a receiver from Edgewater. And his former Eagles teammate, Kel Gainer, followed him to Lake Mary. “Kel can take the top off. He’s a great receiver, and Cole is a great route runner, and he’s fast,” Perry said. Senior offensive linemen Slade Wittstock and Gavin Kaminski add stability up front and big Pennsylvania move-in Liam Ludwig (6-6, 280) will step in at tackle. Defensively, Aaron Young will be looking to blow up as a senior. He’s gotten bigger and was dominant in the spring game from his edge position. Fellow seniors Grady Isaacs, who can play off the edge or at linebacker, and Yale commit Eli Chivington also are back, as is safety Sam Nelson. “I think we’ve got a chance, but you never know. Seminole is pretty good. I know they were down last year, but (coach) Karl (Calhoun) does pretty good,” Perry said. Always in the way for Lake Mary is bitter rival Seminole, while Lake Brantley is back to see if it can improve on last season’s 0-3 district mark. Rejoining this large class district is Apopka, a team that fell on hard times a year ago, finishing 2-7 after having made the playoffs in 24 previous seasons. Seminole has a quarterback battle this year and coach Karl Calhoun said the competition has been good for both QBs. Sophomore Isaiah Taylor, who took over the QB duties at the end of last season, is back. He is neck-and-neck in preseason camp with Spruce Creek transfer Daniel Proenza. “Yeah we have a quarterback situation. Both are great players,” Calhoun said. “Going into camp, the best guy is gonna get the job, but you will see both of them. Both bring great things to the table. We’ll see. “They feed off each other and they both work well together. There’s no bad blood. They’re just working and competing.” Seminole also lost 32 seniors, but some key returning players will solidify things for a team that had a down year last season by Seminole standards. The ‘Noles were 5-6 and ended the season with a first-round playoff loss to Spruce Creek. Running back is a position where Seminole is traditionally strong, but tjhe ‘Noles lost their top five rushers. Antony Gay III, who signed with Tusculum University in Alabama, was the leading rusher and receiver a year ago. Big things are expected from youngster Jelani Williams, a sophomore, at running back. Calhoun is also expecting seniors Jamar Buckner and Tyree Howard to carry the ball. On the outside, Luis Ojeda, Ladarian Hill, and Mainland transfer Kadin Flores will be the guys. Watch out for big tight end Markel Barber (6-6, 200). Maddox Blaine provides experience up front and Javien Hall is a returnee. Defense will be the Seminoles’ staple, as is tradition in Bokeyville. Top cornerback RJ Hampton is joined by Jojo Watson at the other corner, and defensive linemen King Manley and Mason Willis are back. Linebackers Romere Ball and Maxwell Wooden will help. Seminole gets help from several transfers, including linebacker Jamarion Coleman, from rival Lake Mary, and edge rushers Eddie Bouye, from Lyman, and Ethan Varnadore, from Pine Ridge. Brantley boasts one of the best quarterbacks in the state in junior Jackson Stecher, who recently committed to Buffalo. He threw for 2,300 yards and 20 touchdowns a year ago, but the Patriots had trouble protecting him. Coach Garrett Kruczek is hoping he has shored up some of his offensive line troubles with the addition of transfers like Antonio Thompson from Ocoee and Champ Terrell from Apopka. Stecher’s favorite target, Jacob McDonald, is back as one of the top pass-catchers in the area. Brantley will also welcome the return of standout running back KJ Bradford, a junior who was injured last season. Leading tackler Emir Brinson returns at linebacker, and Marshall commit Joe Tesoriero is also back. Cornerback D’Marion Simmons came over from Lake Mary. Apopka continues its rebuilding stage but watch out for big defensive lineman Demetri Tarpley, who is 6-3 and has muscled up to 305 pounds with an offseason program. Apopka Blue Darters Coach: Marcus Neesen (2nd year, 2-7). 2025: 2-7, missed 7A playoffs. Lake Brantley Patriots Coach: Garrett Kruczek (2nd year, 6-4; career 26-7). 2025: 6-4, missed 7A playoffs. Lake Mary Rams Coach: Scott Perry (21st year, 152-82). 2025: 12-3, 7A state champion. Seminole Seminoles Coach: Karl Calhoun Jr. (4th year, 25-11). 2025: 5-6, made 7A playoffs. Chris Hays can be found on X.com@OS_ChrisHays.