By Kyle Coppola
South Lake High Softball Player Alex Watson Shines In Season Opener
GROVELAND, Fla. — South Lake High School junior Alex Watson is off to a red-hot start in what should be a breakout season. Watson helped power the Eagles to an 8-4 victory over Mount Dora in their season opener, going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored.
After playing in just 12 games as a sophomore, Watson has quickly emerged as a key player in 2025, leading a South Lake squad that continues to rise under head coach Jared Fullerton.
Also making an impact in the win was freshman Leah Fullerton, who showcased her potential with two hits, one RBI, and a run scored. Ashlinn O’Brien and Zoe Sheffield are also expected to play crucial roles as the season unfolds.
This group has a lot of potential, and we’re excited to see how they develop. The Eagles face a tough early-season schedule, with matchups against Forest, Montverde Academy, East Ridge, Horizon, and Tavares looming. The tests ahead will provide a strong gauge for just how far this South Lake team can go in 2025.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
