After years of rebuilding, South Lake High School’s boys soccer program is turning a corner and second-year head coach Josh Castleman is determined to keep the momentum going.

The Eagles are coming off their first winning season in over a decade, finishing 8-7-4 last year after going just 4-11-2 the season prior. The team also posted a dramatic improvement in goal differential, swinging from -26 in 2023-24 to a +22 mark last season.

“We showed improvement last year,” Coach Castleman says. “But we’re not done yet. Even with a tougher schedule this season, I believe this team is ready to keep climbing.”

(The South Lake High Soccer team looks to build upon the success of 2024/25.)

The 2025-26 schedule will test South Lake’s progress, with strong opponents like Bishop Moore and Olympia newly added to the slate. But the coaching staff, led by Castleman and assistant coach Adel Ramirez, remains optimistic about the program’s trajectory.

The turnaround isn’t limited to varsity. The junior varsity squad, led by Coach David Cortes, also posted a winning season, marking the first time both JV and varsity teams finished above .500 since the 2012-2013 season.

Coach Castleman’s ties to Lake County run deep. A former striker at Clermont High School one of the schools that merged to form South Lake in 1993, he was part of the inaugural season of club soccer in the area, playing for South Lake Soccer Club (now Clermont Football Club). He still coaches a U-18 boys team for CFC.

Coach Ramirez also brings local experience, having played goalkeeper for Mount Dora High School. He and Coach Castleman graduated the same year, in 1993, and even faced off in high school matches.

(South Lake High has been doing CrossFit in the off-season to prepare for the upcoming season.)

Coach Castleman teaches PE at East Ridge Middle School, sponsors the FCA club there, and co-founded the Clermont Triathlon Club. He previously led East Ridge Middle School soccer program to two county championships before stepping down to focus on South Lake High.

Coach Ramirez, meanwhile, juggles roles as a teacher, Athletic Director, and soccer coach at Gray Middle School along with serving as pastor at La Primera Iglesia Bautista de Mascotte (First Baptist Church of Mascotte).

“When the South Lake job opened up, I knew it was going to be a big commitment,” Coach Castleman says. “But I also knew it was the right thing to do. I’m committed to working as hard as I can to help these players have an excellent high school soccer experience.”

Coach Castleman is passionate about restoring pride in the high school soccer experience at South Lake.

“Some kids have started believing that club soccer is more important than high school soccer, but I don’t agree,” he says. “Playing under the lights for your school is special and you only get a few years to experience that. I want kids to want to play for South Lake.”

That message is resonating. The team has trained hard in the offseason including CrossFit sessions and younger players are stepping up. Coach Castleman says he’s excited about the developing talent and the culture being built.

“We may not win every game this year, but we’ll learn and improve together,” Coach Castleman says. “I just want to see the boys work hard and create a soccer program they can be proud of.”

As the Eagles prepare to kick off the 2025-26 campaign, there’s no doubt: the foundation is in place and South Lake soccer is ready to rise.