Sam’s 2025 spring football stops: Olympia Titans

It’s the second week of the 2025 spring high school football session, and that means the acclimation period is done-and-dusted, and players can strap on their helmets and shoulder pads and get physical.

In the second edition of Sam’s 2025 spring football stops, we continue our 12-stop journey to take fans of West Orange and Southwest Orange high school football behind the scenes of the spring high school football. 

This week, we’re taking a look at one of last season’s most interesting, physical and talented teams: The Olympia Titans.

More from Sam's spring football stops: The First Academy | Foundation Academy | Horizon High | Ocoee High | Olympia High | West Orange High | Windermere High | Windermere Prep

Olympia Titans

2024 record: 4-6

Spring game: 7 p.m. Friday, May 16 at Lake Minneola High

Coach: Travis Gabriel, eighth season

Key returners, additions: ATH Ja’Cari Jackson, DL Carson Rutledge, LB Aiden Harris, DB Daniel Stills and QB Noble Davis.

After one of the most impressive coaching jobs I’ve seen in a long time — leading an Olympia team that lost 36 seniors and 21 starters from the previous seasons to a 4-6 record in 2024 — Titans coach Travis Gabriel is back for his eighth season at the helm. Luckily for him and Olympia faithful, he has more than one starter returning in 2025. 

Although there is much more stability this season, with various key players, including UCF commit Ja’Cari Jackson, returning, the Titans still will see a few significant changes this season, such as a new offensive coordinator — seeing defensive coordinator Vernon Mitchell flip sides of the field — and an offensive line that doesn’t include four-year starter Parker Moss.

“The biggest and probably the best thing I’ve done this offseason was make a change in offensive coordinator,” Gabriel said. “I think our O.C. this coming season is well equipped to get the offense to do what it is I’m looking for. … Having Vernon move over to the offense is going to help us out, because we see that side of the ball in the same way, so I trust that he’s going to be able to establish the correct identity and put our kids in the right position to succeed.”

No. 1: Ja’Cari Jackson is worth the price of admission

In his first season as a member of the Titans, Jackson showed just how versatile, explosive and just plain fun he is on the football field. As a contributor at defensive back, wide receiver, quarterback and in the return game, Gabriel took advantage of the three-star prospect’s 4.55 40-yard dash speed in 2024. 

Although Jackson is viewed as a defensive back at the college level and will primarily play at that position in 2025 for the Titans, Gabriel is not closing the door on utilizing his primetime player where the team needs him.

“Ja’Cari is developing more as a leader this season,” Gabriel said. “His maturity level is kicking up a notch, which will transition to him being a better player on the field because he’s going to feel that burden of being the face of the team and understand how big of a responsibility he has to the team, to be better in all aspects. … So if that means we use him just as a DB, then we will. But at the end of the day in high school football, you put the ball in your best players’ hands. He is one of our best players, so we’ll find a way to get the ball to him.”

No. 2: Compared to 2024, Titans return plethora of experience 

“We have a good core of guys who are coming back (who) have experience,” Gabriel said. “I’ve always said you can’t replace experience. You can replace talent. You can replace speed. But you can’t ever replace experience, and I think with the guys coming back (we) have experience, and it’ll help us prepare to be better than what we were last year. Guys like Eric (Weems), Carson (Rutledge), our captain on defense Aiden Harris and Colton Showely next to him at linebacker. We bring back Ryder Flynn, Dylan Robinson and Charles Roundtree at DB to go along with Ja’Cari. On offense our starting QB is back Noble Davis, and our line is going to be led by two returning starters in Kevin Adams and Fuad Maali.”

No. 3: Freshman running backs impressing coaches

With the loss of starting running back Raymond Green to graduation, who carries the rock for the new-look Titans offense is a question mark going into the spring season. But have no fear Olympia fans, coach Gabriel is liking what he sees from a pair of freshmen. 

“We have two young running backs, Matthew Haynes and Christian Gustavo, (who) are both in the ninth grade,” he said. “They’re young, but they’re built. I call them little bricks, because they’re both like 185 pounds and super strong. They’re both just ready to get out there and show what they can do, so I’d say watch out for them.”