CHOCOWINITY — For most 1-A schools in eastern North Carolina, soccer is hardly a priority and garnering enough interest to field a starting 11 is, well, simply implausible. Most schools don’t have the numbers and those that do often don’t have women’s teams.

Despite its location and shallow history, Southside no longer has that problem, boasting a roster of 21 players. But the team still has yet to post a winning season, a narrative head coach John Lohman is looking to rewrite in 2015.

“Right now, our goal is to get into conference with a winning record,” Lohman said after last week’s game against Farmville Central, a 5-1 victory. “We have our work cut out for us to get there.”

In order for the Seahawks to meet their immediate goal, they need to play cohesively in nonconference games against Perquimans (twice) and Herford County, a team that beat them twice last year. But the dominating win against Farmville Central, a 2-A opponent, is a promising step in the right direction, a microcosm of Southside’s growth over the last year.

Sophomore Jesse Lohman, who earned Daily News First Team All-County honors as a freshman last season, is off to a great start from the center midfield position, notching six goals through the first two games, including a four-goal performance against the Jaguars on Wednesday. Lohman, however, is the constant in an offense that was otherwise highly inconsistent last season, en route to a 5-10 record.

So far, two games in, Southside has worked efficiently within the 5-4-1 formation — strong offensive performances mixed in with spotty defensive showings. For the first time, the Seahawks have depth and skill players scattered throughout the field. Game speed can vary and look a bit unconventional at times, but coach Lohman isn’t aiming for flair. He’s looking for whatever works.

“They’re playing with confidence, they’re listening and they’re coachable,” he said. “When you have speed, you can do more stuff. Speed at fullback is huge.”

Fullback Ethan Harris, a junior, has been the X-factor for a defense that allowed more than four goals a game just a season ago. He’s also generated offense by creating counter attacks down the center of the field. And it’s midfielders like Lohman and Caleb Petty, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, who are usually on the other end.

The result has been early production, as midfielders Devin Guzman and David Romero have notched two goals each, while striker Daniel Lopez has showcased enough breakaway speed to bring his tally to three goals.

Southside is in the driver’s seat to escape nonconference play unscathed, but the Seahawks have a tough task ahead of them in the Coastal Plains Conference. The long-term goal, however, is a first ever conference championship.

“You always want the goal to be to win conference and we’re good enough now to challenge teams,” coach Lohman said. “East Carteret will still be good but not as good. They’re a very good team and it’ll take everything we’ve got to beat them, as well as Lejeune.”

The Mainers, who finished 13-3 with a conference championship last season and beat Southside twice by a combined score of 20-2, graduated six key senior contributors, including their top two scorers in Alex DeOliveira and Gavin Hillebrand. The Devil Pups also graduated their two top scorers in Patrick O’Hora and Timothy Vaughn.

With just two seniors on the roster, the Seahawks primed for even more growth down the stretch, this season into the next. They’re a long way from a conference title, but the foundation is certainly set. Now it’s time to build.