Thursday, October 1, 2026
With three straight winless seasons and dwindling numbers with no middle school, JV or local youth teams, there may not be much time left for Lawrence’s football program to secure a historic 550th victory. It needs one more to reach the milestone.
The Golden Tornadoes were voted Nassau Conference IV’s most-improved team by coaches in 2025, becoming far more competitive but unable to crack the win column. They enter this year on a 28-game slide, but head coach Akym Land is focusing on the bright side.
“Last year was encouraging, but we’re still in a tough situation,” said Land, a former Lawrence quarterback and 2017 grad. “We were pretty close in a few games and with the starting 11 we’re planning to have, we can do something and hopefully make history getting to 550,” he added.
If there’s going to be any celebrations this fall, junior running back/linebacker Dilon Harris is likely a big reason why. He earned All-Conference honors as a sophomore after contributing as a freshman. He’ll also be a key on return units. “He’s shifty and fast and can literally play anywhere,” Land said. “If we asked him to be a lineman, he’d block. He loves football and loves contact. He’ll get the most touches and is the heartbeat of the team.”
Senior quarterback Khalil Brassell returns as the starter and will also see more reps on defense after making just one start on that side of the ball a year ago for safety management reasons. “He’s gotten bigger and stronger from his work in the weight room,” Land said of the dual threat under center. “He knows the offense like the back of his hand and is the smartest kid on the field.”
Brassell will look to get the ball in the hands of senior Tristian Darwin, junior Joel Brassell and sophomore Timothy Jiminez.
Darwin is a slot receiver and linebacker described by Land as the strongest skill player on the roster. He’s also speedy with solid blocking ability.
Jiminez is a receiver/cornerback who scored a few touchdowns and intercepted a couple of passes in 2025. “He’s got the best hands on the team,” Land said. “He started on offense all year long and started on defense in the second half of the year.”
Joel Brassell is in line for a larger role both in the passing game and at defensive end/linebacker.
On the offensive line, the Golden Tornadoes return three of five starters and could also have a little depth. The anchor, both on the O-Line and D-Line is senior Anthony Martinez.
“Teams run away from his side on defense and he’s a consistent force at left tackle,” Land said.
Martinez and senior right tackle Josh Jonas are vocal leaders as well, Land noted. Jonas is the tallest and biggest lineman on the squad and along with Martinez does a great job motivating teammates.
Senior center Ilan Perez-Lopez enters just his second year playing organized football but quickly developed into a reliable snapper both for the offense and special teams.
At guard, the coach is looking for senior Jeremiah Ulloa, who missed last season with an injury, to top the depth chart. There’s also seniors Arnold Hernandez and Markus Villars who can contribute at the other guard spot and provide depth. Hernandez, also a starting linebacker, will handle kicking responsibilities as well.
Lawrence is seeded at the bottom of the 14-team conference, but the schedule does offer some relief. The highest-ranked opponent on the slate is seventh-seeded Malverne. The Golden Tornadoes face No. 13 Oyster Bay twice in the first three weeks with a Week 2 trip to Carle Place in between.
Due to the turf football field at the high school in a condemned state and not permitted to be used for any activity, and the inability to secure somewhere to host games, it’ll be eight bus rides for Lawrence this fall.
“We’re trying to figure out if we can conduct any kind of Homecoming,” Land said. “I hope we can for the kids’ sake.”
To read more from the Herald's 2026 High School Football Preview, click here.
