The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
Changing the culture of the Lakewood football program for first-year head coach Mario Morales doesn’t consist of a full blown makeover — instead, it’s about the little things.
“It’s about how they conduct themselves on campus and on the field,” Morales said. “That’s what we mean by changing the culture. Be respectful, be on time, be thankful, be grateful, be in uniform. All those things don’t only apply to the football field but the campus, so that’s the biggest thing for us.”
Having been the dean of students at Lakewood for the last 14 years and an assistant football coach last season, Morales plans to keep the team’s structure similar to how new Long Beach Poly coach Justin Utupo left it. Morales says the only major change is at offensive coordinator, where Jason Floyd will take over signal-calling duties.
The Lancers will be young at nearly every position this season but retain key experience at quarterback with senior Kade Casillas. The true dual-threat QB followed up his breakout sophomore season last year with 2,830 passing yards (236 per game) and 31 touchdowns while completing 65% of his passes. Casillas also ran for 692 yards with six touchdowns on the ground.
“It all starts with him,” Morales said of Casillas. “His football IQ is high. He knows how to get out of things, and he has a really good command of the offense. He extends plays because, obviously, he can run. He’s tailor-made for this offense.”
“Being a senior on a very young team with only a few returning starters, I have to be that guy to lead my team especially with a lot of young receivers around me,” said Casillas, who is one of just four senior starters on offense. “We have to make sure we’re ready for everything.”
Casillas will have a familiar pass-catcher in Kenny Niumataevalu, who’s the only returning starting receiver from last season. Niumataevalu has been out during fall camp due to a foot injury, but Morales says he’ll find his way back into the starting lineup soon. The Arizona offeree had 18 catches last season for 591 yards and eight touchdowns.
Quan Morgan will be the only other senior receiver and will look to lead the group alongside juniors Darius Miller and Jayden Moore. 6-foot-2 Taeshaun Dunn is a promising sophomore receiver who will also be in the mix on offense.
The big missing piece for Lakewood this year will be at tight end after four-star tight-end and Texas Tech commit Caleb Tafua transferred to Bishop Montgomery in the summer. Stepping into his spot will be senior Kagiso Boikanyo, who’s spent the last three years with the program. Boikanyo will be featured in a lot of 11- and 12-personnel packages that will also include running backs Jordan Montgomery and Cedric Lane.
The Lancers are still sorting out their offensive line, where Morales says confidence will be a big hump to get over for his linemen. Senior JoeJoe Togiola will be at left tackle while Michael Grace and Jacob Holland will battle for the left guard spot. Francisco Sortman and Michael Fernandez are competing at center while Jerome Moore will be at right guard with Garon Harden next to him at tackle.
On defense, Lakewood holds a handful of returners in an experienced secondary, led by senior cornerback Tiwan Jones Jr. The Idaho State commit will also be on offense at receiver and has stepped up as a vocal presence at practice for the entire team. Jones had 20 total tackles last season and two interceptions while hauling in seven catches on offense for 217 yards and two touchdowns.
“I have to be an example for the team. It’s hard but we’re trying to get better everyday and I’m trying to push my teammates to be better for themselves,” Jones said. “We have to be physical on every play. Nonstop. We just have to break through the mental barriers and the little details are going to be key in winning games.”
Opposite of Jones will be sophomore corner Devin Watson while senior Dane Mason will also be in the mix. Senior Jaiden Gray will be at safety alongside Samuel Spencer.
Morales will load the box with a 3-4 front, relying on a deep and experienced group of linebackers. Seniors Sammy Gomez, Troy Norried, Ryder Hemphill, and Kaelib Verduzco will all be at linebacker alongside junior Gregory Gibson.
“We’re pretty heavy at linebacker which is a good problem for us to have,” Morales said. “We’re confident in all the guys out there we feel that whoever’s on the field in that linebacker group will be able to get it done.”
Even with just three down linemen, Morales feels confident in his defense’s ability to get to the quarterback. Garon Harden and Marshawn Springer are two fast juniors on either end of the line and fellow junior Davian Avila will be at noseboard.
“We feel like we have two edge guys that can get home,” Morales said. “And Avila, he’s a two gap guy. He can really dominate the inside gaps with the A gaps and then we’ll get some pressure off the outside with the edge guys. We’re excited to get some schemes in and see how those guys play but I think the 3-4 suits us well.”
The Lancers face the same preseason schedule as last year which includes tough matchups against teams like Carlsbad (Aug. 22) and the reigning CIF-SS Division 3 champs in Edison (Sep. 5). Lakewood will also have two local matchups in its annual battle for Milk Bucket Trophy against Mayfair (Sep. 12) along with a matchup against St. Anthony (Aug. 29).
“It’s just being consistent and playing hard,” Morales said of the tough matchups. “It’s about being in close games and understanding how to handle those situations. In the past, we’ve lost our composure at certain times and we can’t do that in close games. That’s what I think it’s going to take.”
Lakewood finished 4-2 in the Moore League last season with losses to Long Beach Poly and Millikan. Rematches against those teams come on Sept. 27 and Oct. 18, respectively. The Lancers need to finish in one of the top four Moore League spots to earn an automatic bid into the playoffs, which they’ve done every year since 2022.
“Everyone’s good, and I think we are too,” Morales said of the league. “There’s going to be a lot of close games in the Moore League and I truly believe it’s all about who keeps their composure the best will come out on top in these close games.”
2025 Lakewood Football Schedule
8/22 – at Carlsbad
8/29 – vs. St. Anthony
9/5 – at Edison
9/12 – vs. Mayfair
9/19 – at Compton*
9/26 – vs. Long Beach Poly*
10/3 – vs. Cabrillo*
10/10 – at Jordan*
10/17 – at Millikan*
10/30 – vs. Wilson* (Senior Night)
* = Moore League game
Projected Starters:
Offense
QB: Kade Casillas (Sr.)
RB: Jordan Montgomery (Jr.)
WR: Quan Morgan (Sr.) / Darius Miller (Jr.) / Taeshaun Dunn (So.) / Jayden Moore (Jr.) / Kenny Niumataevalu (Sr.)
TE: Kagiso Boikanyo (Sr.)
OL: JoeJoe Togiola (Sr.) / Michael Grace (Jr.) / Jacob Holland (Jr.) / Francisco Sortman (Jr.) / Michael Fernandez (So.) / Jerome Moore (Jr.) / Garon Harden (Jr.)
Defense
DL: Garon Harden (Jr.) / Davian Avila (Jr.) / Marshawn Springer (Jr.)
DB: Tiwan Jones (Sr.) / Devin Watson (So.) / Dane Mason (Sr.) / Jaiden Gray (Sr.) / Samuel Spencer (So.)
LB: Sammy Gomez (Sr.) / Gregory Gibson (Jr.) / Troy Norried (Sr.) / Ryder Hemphill (Sr.) / Kaelib Verduzco (Sr.)
