KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News)—Mayde Creek varsity football finished with a 5-5 record (3-5 in District 19-6A) in 2024, but second-year coach Mike Arogbonlo believes his team left wins on the table. His mission remains unchanged: maximize the talent on his roster and extract every ounce of potential from his players.
When asked if the Rams are poised for a breakout in his second season at the helm, Arogbonlo said the standard never wavers.
"It's kind of just standard, which is just to maximize our team and get the very best," Arogbonlo said. "A lot of people were pleased about a 5-5 record, but we thought we could have done a little better. So that's the standard, and that's our goal every year. It's not going to change. It's just to get the best of our kids, and we want that to be a consistent standard that matches this season."
The Rams' multiple-style offense—"A little bit of everything" is how Arogbonlo described it—will feature a running game with senior running back Jamaal Jones and junior running back Julius "Juice" Vela expected to get carries.
The passing attack will feature senior wide receivers Christian Bradford and Montrae LeBlanc, along with junior wide receiver Chad Nelson.
"We have a lot of speed, but we also have power," Arogbonlo said.
Juniors Adriel Gomez and Ethan Lopez will compete for the starting quarterback job in fall drills. Arogbonlo said Gomez was the junior varsity quarterback last season, while Lopez started one varsity game.
The Rams will be rebuilding on the offensive line, where only senior offensive tackle LaShawn Jackson returns.
"We're excited about the young talent on the offensive line," Arogbonlo said. "They're learning and growing. We've had a great off-season, and we're excited about what they're going to do to get us going up front. I don't think we'll be the biggest, but I think we'll be the toughest and the quickest line."
The Rams will run a 4-3 multiple-set defense. In some situations, the Rams might play six defensive backs, one linebacker and four defensive linemen. Junior linebacker C.J. Arogbonlo, the coach's son, will be one of the defensive leaders, along with senior defensive linemen Kentarian Montgomery and LaMarcus Colar.
Senior linebacker Kosi Okpala, who has committed to play college football at Texas, and senior defensive lineman Stone Bankston are expected to have key roles this season for Mayde Creek.
"Those two coming off the edge are going to cause a lot of people problems," Arogbonlo said. Bankston's father, Damon Bankston, is on the Rams' coaching staff.
"We're blessed with talent, we're blessed with great coaches, and we're blessed with great administration," Arogbonlo said. "The sky's the limit, and we're excited about that."
Read our other 2025 football preview stories here.
2025 Rams Schedule
Aug. 28
Mayde Creek at Fort Bend Travis
7 p.m. at Hall Stadium
Sept. 5
Fort Bend Austin at Mayde Creek
6 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Sept. 11
Mayde Creek at Taylor
7 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Sept. 19
Jordan at Mayde Creek
7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Sept. 25
Mayde Creek at Paetow
7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Oct. 3
Tompkins at Mayde Creek
6:30 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Oct. 17
Mayde Creek at Morton Ranch
6:30 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Oct. 23
Cinco Ranch at Mayde Creek
7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Oct. 31
Seven Lakes at Mayde Creek
7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Nov. 6
Katy at Mayde Creek
7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium