Is Lennard Ready to Take the Next Step?

Head coach KB Belton enters his fourth year after guiding the Longhorns to steady improvement each season, with 2025 marking the program’s best year yet under his leadership. Lennard reached the playoffs last fall, and now, with one of Hillsborough County’s deepest rosters and several key offseason additions, expectations around the program have never been higher.

Competing in Class 6A, Region 3, District 10 alongside Durant, Newsome, Plant City and Riverview, the Longhorns enter the 2026 season as one of the leading contenders to compete for a district championship.

The talent starts with one of the state’s premier defensive backs.

Four-star Wisconsin commit Mekhi Williams headlines the roster after establishing himself as one of Florida’s top safeties. Joining him in the secondary is Robert Gibbons, a three-star FIU commit who gives Lennard another proven playmaker in the defensive backfield.

The Longhorns also added one of the area’s biggest offseason transfers in running back Preston Beckham, a Cincinnati commit who brings another weapon to an offense that already features one of the county’s most talented skill groups. Three-star Florida State commit Chayse Brown returns as one of the area’s top athletes, while 2028 wide receiver Terrence O’Neal-Leather is expected to take another step forward this fall.

Perhaps the biggest offseason addition came under center.

Former Sumner quarterback Antonio Balaguer transferred to Lennard after throwing for 1,298 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. A veteran signal-caller entering his senior season, Balaguer gives the Longhorns valuable experience at quarterback and could prove to be the missing piece for an offense already loaded with playmakers.

The additions did not stop there.

Lennard strengthened its defense with the arrival of 2027 linebackers Nykel Young and Malik Boyd. Young transferred from Bloomingdale, while Boyd arrives from East Bay, giving the Longhorns two more key pieces for a defense that allowed fewer than 10 points per game during the 2025 regular season.

The Longhorns also return plenty of size in the trenches. Kordae Oleskewicz, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound offensive lineman in the Class of 2027, anchors a physical offensive front, while 2029 offensive tackle Beck Funderburk already made an impact as a freshman. Standing 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Funderburk has the size and potential to become one of the area’s top young linemen as he continues to develop.

Entering Year 4, Belton has transformed Lennard into one of Hillsborough County’s fastest-rising programs. Each season has brought another step forward, and the Longhorns now enter 2026 with expectations that extend well beyond simply making the playoffs.

With proven Division I talent on both sides of the ball, an experienced signal-caller, impact transfers, size along the offensive line and one of Hillsborough County’s top defenses returning, Lennard enters the season with its sights set on capturing the first district championship of the KB Belton era.

2026 Schedule

Preseason

Aug. 14 — vs. Osceola Fundamental

Regular Season

Aug. 21 — at Armwood

Aug. 28 — vs. Morgan

Sept. 4 — at St. Petersburg Catholic

Sept. 10 — vs. Newsome *

Sept. 18 — at East Bay

Sept. 25 — at Plant City *

Oct. 2 — vs. Tampa Bay Tech

Oct. 9 — vs. Durant *

Oct. 16 — at Riverview *

Oct. 30 — vs. Strawberry Crest

*District game.