Members of the Stonington boys soccer team celebrate their 3-1 CIAC Class M championship victory over Ellington Saturday at Dillon Stadium.
Will Aldam / Hearst Connecticut MediaPaul deCastro has resigned as the Stonington boys soccer coach after 14 years at the helm, Athletic Director Bryan Morrone announced Wednesday.
At Stonington, deCastro had a record of 164-86-12, including 89-6-3 over the past five seasons, highlighted by two CIAC Class M and two ECC tournament championships.
deCastro leaves having guided Stonington to back-to-back CIAC Class M crowns, taking home titles in 2019 and 2021. No state finals were held in 2020 because of COVID-19.
The Bears finished this season on a 21-game winning streak, not losing a game after dropping the season opener to Ledyard, a team it would beat twice later in the season.
Stonington capped the winning streak by beating Ellington 3-1 in the Class M final at Dillon Stadium.
The team also won the Piver Cup Championship, ECC DI Divisional Championship and ECC D-I Tournament.
The team had 11 seniors, many of whom he had coached since youth soccer, including his son, Billy deCastro.
deCastro’s daughter, Bella is a freshman on the Stonington girls soccer team.
“From the first day we started working together, I knew he was the right person for the job,” Morrone said in a press release. “Coach deCastro's dedication to the team, hardworking nature and knowledge of the game of soccer shown through in how the team performed on and off the field. His passion for Stonington and the game of soccer permeated through our other SHS teams and our community soccer programming. Thus creating a longevity and positive culture beyond his time on our sidelines.”