2026 Prep Football Team Previews: Central Spartans

EL CENTRO, Calif (KYMA) - The Central Spartans enter the 2026 football season with lofty expectations after a successful 2025 campaign that ended with a CIF San Diego Section Division III runner-up finish.

With a new quarterback in Alec Hernandez and several new offensive weapons, Central is hoping to make another run at a section championship.

The Spartans are also facing a challenging schedule, including a tough Imperial Valley League slate and a Week 1 matchup against La Costa Canyon.

Despite the challenges, Central has its sights set on a perfect regular season.

“Our goals are to go undefeated,” Hernandez said. “Just go one game at a time and hopefully get to that CIF championship again.”

Getting back to the championship game won't be easy, but Central has players who understand what it takes to make a deep postseason run.

Sophomore outside linebacker and running back Aaron Moreno played in the championship game as a freshman. He said the Spartans will need to focus on the details if they want to return.

“It’s just showing up to film every day, practicing, working on our mistakes and working on the small little details that need to be fixed and corrected,” Moreno said.

Junior left tackle and defensive tackle Anthony Rodriguez knows how difficult it is to reach a championship game — and how much it hurts to come up short.

“We just kind of go about it that we know how hard it is to get there, so we just gotta work twice as hard because we know falling short, it hurts,” Rodriguez said. “We just have to be way more physical, especially on our offensive and defensive line. Coach always says the line is where we win the game.”

While the Spartans' success will depend on their play in the trenches, 10th-year head coach Rookie Pena is emphasizing the importance of trusting the process rather than focusing solely on results.

“Our guys understand that it’s a process, not about outcomes,” Pena said. “Every week starts a new week towards that process of achieving your goal of trying to go 1-0.”

Pena also believes the team's depth and next-man-up mentality can help Central navigate a long season.

“Our guys know that every guy matters,” Pena said. “That’s next man up, and now they embrace that aspect of things.”

Central's veteran experience could also play a major role. Several seniors have played together since their freshman seasons, helping establish chemistry within the team.

With a winning pedigree, veteran leadership and another postseason run in its sights, Central believes it has the pieces to make another deep run. But the Spartans will have little time to ease into the season.

Central opens the season Friday night against La Costa Canyon at Cal Jones Field.

The game will also mark the debut of Central's highly anticipated new lighting system, adding another element to the already strong game-day atmosphere.