KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The Seven Lakes Spartans are poised to break their three-year playoff drought this season, building on steady improvement that saw them finish 4-6 overall (2-8 in District 19-6A) last year. After consecutive losing seasons since their last playoff appearance in 2021, the Spartans believe they have the pieces in place to return to postseason play.
"I think at this point of the year, everybody's 0-0 and always excited about the prospects of the future," Spartans coach Jimmy Hamon said. "I think after a good spring ball and good summer training, we're just looking to have the opportunity to play against somebody else and show what we're made of."
Offensive weapons ready
On offense, the Spartans are excited about their tight ends, starting with senior Peter Noonan.
"He'll be a three-year starter for us," Hamon said. "He'll have opportunities to play in college. He's deciding where he'll go. He's had a great summer so far."
Another tight end is senior Kyler Bloomfield.
"He's really improved his speed over the last year or so," Hamon said. "We're excited to see what he has, what he's going to do on the varsity football field. He's put in the work to deserve the time."
At wide receiver, the Spartans are looking to seniors Ryan and Matt Fowler — they are twins — along with senior Cesar Sifontes. Hunter Hamon, the coach's son, is also expected to be a contributor.
Who will play quarterback is not yet known. Hamon said a decision had not been made between senior Bo Porter and junior Tyson Fifer.
"I think both of them have a place in our offense, and we're going to use the fall camp and our scrimmage in non-district to decide how we're going to utilize them," Hamon said. "I could see us using both of them throughout the season."
Senior Edgar Varela, a three-year letterman, returns at running back, and sophomore Chase Janda is also expected to be a key contributor in the ground attack. Senior left tackle Marcello Goldberg Carrera will lead the offensive line. "He's really athletic, and also plays basketball for us, so we expect big things out of him," Hamon said.
Defense built on line strength
Hamon said the line would be the strength of the Seven Lakes defense. Junior defensive lineman Hayden Gandolfo and senior Ja'Don Hudson will be leaders there.
"Gandolfo is a returning all-district player for us, and he was a couple votes away from being our Newcomer of the Year," Hamon said. "He's really explosive. He's got a great motor and just a great guy to be around."
Hamon called senior linebacker Evan Burt the quarterback of the defense. "He sets our strengths and makes our checks," Hamon said. Junior linebacker Kannon Floyd is also expected to be a leader on the defense.
Matt Fowler will play in the secondary at corner in addition to wide receiver.
"He'll start at corner, but also come in some of our three-receiver packages on offense," Hamon said.
Senior Jack Marchitello, a two-year letterman, will play safety, and he also serves as the punt and kick returner. "He had a lot of playing time and really productive playing time last year," Hamon said, adding that he could play offense as needed.
Read our other 2025 football preview stories here.
2025 Spartans schedule
Aug. 29 Memorial at Seven Lakes 7:30 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Sept. 6 Foster at Seven Lakes 7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Sept. 12 Cinco Ranch at Seven Lakes 7 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Sept. 26 Seven Lakes at Katy 7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Oct. 2 Taylor at Seven Lakes 6:30 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Oct. 9 Seven Lakes at Jordan 6:30 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Oct. 16 Paetow at Seven Lakes 7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Oct. 23 Seven Lakes at Tompkins 6:30 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
Oct. 31 Seven Lakes at Mayde Creek 7 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium
Nov. 6 Seven Lakes at Morton Ranch 6:30 p.m. at Legacy Stadium