Oliver Castellanos has been fully locked in on the game of soccer nearly his entire life.
The Enid senior goalie has played the sport since the age of five and it’s the only sport he’s committed to.
Castellanos is in third year as a starter for the Plainsmen, who are currently 7-5 under head coach Jorge Cabada. Enid snapped a two-game losing streak by blanking Choctaw, 8-0, in its most recent outing on April 11.
“He is the vocal leader and helps get his teammates into positions to be successful,” Cabada said. “The confidence that he has in the box is something that can’t be taught. With years of experience under his belt at this level we know when it’s time to make a big save or start a counter attack after a save that he will come up big and make the right decision. He is in the best physical shape that he’s ever been in.”
Castellanos hopes to help lead Enid to the playoffs this season. The Plainsmen, who are 2-2 in District 6A-3 play, have Putnam City, Edmond North and Jenks remaining on their regular season schedule.
“We have had a solid season with a lot of injuries, but besides that, it has been a solid season,” Castellanos said. “PCO, Edmond North and Jenks are our last three games and our most important games of the season. I’m looking forward to all three.”
Castellanos has high standards of himself on the soccer field and in the classroom.
“My goal is to finish with a 4.0 GPA in school, and for soccer, it is to make the playoffs and get the first round win,” he said.
Defeating Jenks and Union are two standout memories for Castellanos, a big fan of Argentina goalie Dibu Martinez because of his confidence and ego.
“There are two most memorable moments for me. It is either beating Jenks at Jenks my sophomore year and keeping my clean sheet, or beating Union in Enid my junior year and keeping my clean sheet,” said Castellanos, whose favorite drill is goalie wars.
“My favorite drill is honestly goalie wars because I get to shoot and they shoot on me, but anything that has to do with blocking shots.”
Becoming a better overall athlete during his senior year has given Castellanos another edge in addition to his shot-stopping ability.
“My strength is shot stopping, and over my high school career I have become a better athlete, especially my senior year,” he said.
Known throughout school as the “goalie,” Castellanos wants to continue growing his business and be successful in life. During his free time, he enjoys going to the gym and playing even more soccer.
