South Georgia State College women’s soccer is off to another strong start, and the coach leading the Lady Hawks continues to call Jeff Davis County home. Lisa “Coach Gonzo” Gonzalez-Lytle, a familiar name to local soccer fans following a highly successful six-year tenure at Jeff Davis High School, has carried that success to the collegiate level as head coach of the South Georgia State College women’s soccer program.
The Lady Hawks are currently 5-1 overall and a perfect 5-0 in conference play, with their only loss coming against nationally No. 1-ranked Daytona State. The strong start follows an outstanding 2025 campaign in which SGSC finished 11-3, captured both the GCAA regular-season and conference championships and advanced to the NJCAA Southeast District Championships.
The season also brought individual honors to the program. Sophomore Bailey Maroney was named GCAA Player of the Year, while Gonzalez-Lytle was recognized as the 2025 GCAA Region 17 Coach of the Year.
For Gonzalez-Lytle, however, building a successful college program goes beyond wins and losses. Developing chemistry among her players — and creating a team that enjoys being together away from the field — is an important part of the process. “The athletes that form the team this year are explosive, dynamic, energetic, passionate, fun, determined, and most of all committed to the name on their jersey,” Gonzalez-Lytle said. “Team chemistry, especially for female athletes, is crucial for a successful program on and off the field.”
And apparently, team building at SGSC can take many forms. “From Jiu Jitsu class to the days after training spent fishing, and even some rainy-day homemade slip and slides, these ladies keep me on my toes,” she said.
Coming off a championship season, Gonzalez-Lytle has set a high bar for the 2026 Lady Hawks. “My expectation this season is to supersede what was done last year in terms of records and stats within the GCAA and NJCAA, maintain the reputation of developing good soccer and players, and to continue to build a platform other higher-level colleges can count on for recruiting in the state of Georgia,” she said.
Part of that mission is preparing athletes to continue their careers beyond South Georgia State. Gonzalez-Lytle points to players transferring from SGSC to programs including North Georgia, Georgia College, Middle Georgia State, Georgia Southwestern and Georgia Gwinnett College as evidence that the program can serve as a launching point. “South Georgia State Soccer is not a place to come play if you’re wanting to ‘retire,’ because our female athletes are transferring out,” she said. “The truth is you may start here, but the possibilities of where you could end up take flight. #HawksFLY.”
Long before leading the Lady Hawks, Coach Gonzo left her mark on soccer in Jeff Davis County. During her six seasons at Jeff Davis High School, Gonzalez-Lytle led the program to its first Georgia state ranking and multiple appearances in the state playoffs.
Jeff Davis reached the Sweet 16 in 2021, followed by a historic 2022 season in which the team completed an undefeated regular season, captured a region championship and advanced to the Elite 8, finishing the year with a remarkable 20-1 record. The Jackets returned to the Sweet 16 in 2023.
Gonzalez-Lytle’s work at Jeff Davis earned her several coaching honors. She was named the 2022 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year, All-Region Coach of the Year and DiVarsity’s 2022 Class 2A Coach of the Year. She was also selected to coach in the Georgia DiVarsity All-Star Game.
Gonzalez-Lytle’s soccer experience stretches well beyond the sidelines. Her collegiate playing career began at Navarro College in Texas, where she made three NJCAA national tournament appearances and was named to the All-Region Academic Team. She later competed at the NCAA Division I level at Stephen F. Austin State University before finishing her playing career at NCAA Division II Angelo State University.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in psychology and later completed a master’s degree in Coaching, Sports, Recreation and Fitness Management at Angelo State, where she also served as a graduate assistant coach.
Those experiences eventually brought her to Jeff Davis County — a community that remains home even as her coaching career has moved to the college level. Gonzalez-Lytle has lived in Jeff Davis County for nearly 10 years and resides in Hazlehurst with her husband, Jacob, their 5-year-old son, Barrett, and their two Boykin Spaniels, River and Goose.
And while much of her time is spent developing college soccer players, Coach Gonzo can still be found on the sidelines of local youth sports. These days, she’s often there simply as Barrett’s mom, supporting him as he participates in Jeff Davis Recreation athletics — including, appropriately enough, soccer. For now, she’s leaving the coaching of his team to someone else.
From a historic run with the Jackets to conference championships and postseason appearances at South Georgia State, Gonzalez-Lytle’s coaching journey has moved beyond Jeff Davis County — but Jeff Davis County remains home.
With the Lady Hawks already 5-0 in conference play, Gonzalez-Lytle continues to build on a winning tradition that began locally — proving that while Coach Gonzo may now lead a college program, Jeff Davis County is still home.
HN would like to wish the Lady Hawks continued success throughout the rest of the season.
