It was another great year for high school sports.

First and foremost, congratulations to all who participated in a sport this past school year. We are blessed to have so many outstanding student-athletes and coaches in our coverage area.

On Monday, I listed my top seven stories from the 2026 spring sports season. A total of five of those moments made my top high school sports moments of 2025-26.

But there easily could have been more.

Some of the top moments that did not make my list include former Williston football coach Robby Pruitt becoming the first high school coach in America to win 200 games in two different states, Oak Hall School football winning the Sunshine State Athletic Association (SSAA) 11-man 3A title and The Rock School varsity boys basketball team winning its first state title in program history (Sunshine Independent Athletic Association).

Plus, Hawthorne football coach Cornelius Ingram won his 100^th career game, Buchholz football advanced to its fifth straight state semifinal, GHS volleyball advanced to its first final four since 2011, Santa Fe (Alachua) boys soccer made its first final four ever and the Trenton boys basketball team advanced to its first final four in program history.

There were countless district championships and individual state titles.

The list goes on and on, so I decided to limit my top moments to FHSAA team state titles and state runner-up finishes because there were a bunch of those.

Branford volleyball

The third time was the charm for the Buccaneers, who defeated Williston in the Rural State Semifinals to advance to their third straight state championship game appearance.

In 2023, Branford lost to Baker in its first-ever state championship game appearance, and in 2024, the Bucs returned to the title game, where they were swept by Liberty County (Bristol).

On Nov. 5, 2025, at Polk State College in Winter Haven, Branford defeated Chipley 25-13, 11-25, 25-14, 19-25, 15-9 to win the FHSAA Rural state title.

Not only was it the first state title in program history, but it was just the second state championship of any kind for Branford High School athletics (the 1966 Branford boys track team won the school’s first title).

Buchholz boys cross country

In 2024, the Buchholz boys cross country team won its first state title since 1994.

On Nov. 22, 2025, they repeated. The Bobcats won the Class 4A state title ahead of second-place Oviedo, which had beaten them during the Class 4A Region 1 meet.

Seniors Demetrie Meyers (15 minutes, 29.8 seconds) and Samuel Freas (15:34.2) earned third- and fourth-place finishes, senior Davis Garrett (15:58.4) was eighth, and Buchholz moved from ninth place after the first mile to second place before earning gold in the final mile.

Oak Hall girls cross country

The Oak Hall girls cross country team were state runners-up.

The Lady Eagles tied Providence (Jacksonville) with 132 points apiece but lost to the Stallions on a tiebreaker.

Senior Estella Collante (18:41.3) had a fourth-place finish individually for Oak Hall, while Reese Allen (19:52.8), a seventh grader, finished as the team’s second runner at 17^th overall.

Hawthorne football

The Hornets advanced to their sixth straight state championship game appearance with a 36-6 win against Chiefland in the Rural state semifinals.

That set up a state championship game appearance against top-ranked Blountstown at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium on the campus of The Villages Charter School.

Hawthorne (11-1) held a Blountstown team, which was averaging 50 points per game, to just one score, and sophomore running back Derryek Gillins finished with 95 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in a 24-8 victory against the previously unbeaten Tigers (12-1).

It was the third state title in the last four years for Ingram, who is a Hawthorne alum.

Williston girls basketball

The Williston girls basketball team beat defending state champion Wildwood twice on its way to its first final four in program history.

The Lady Red Devils defeated the Wildcats, 72-62, in the Rural-District 7 championship game, followed by a 61-52 victory against Wildwood in the Rural-Region 4 Final.

At the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Williston survived a late scare against Blountstown in the state semifinals, scoring six straight points in the final two minutes for a 43-41 win. However, the Lady Red Devils (21-2) cruised in the state championship game with a 66-49 victory against Jay to win their first state title in program history.

Williston boys basketball

Junior Jaden Magee had a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Williston boys basketball team defeated first-time final four participants, Trenton, 60-52, in the Rural state semifinals.

The Red Devils (21-8) faced top seed Crossroad Academy (Quincy) in the title game at UNF. The game went into overtime, but the Scorpions won their first state title in program history with a 61-56 victory.

It denied Williston its third state title in four years.

Union County baseball

The Tigers won their first state title since 2012, but it wasn’t easy.

After a 2-0 win against Cottondale in the Rural state semifinals at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Union County was down to its final strike of the season against Trenton in the title game.

Union County scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings, then walked it off in the bottom of the eighth inning to win it, 10-9.

Trenton baseball

When the Trenton baseball team swept Williston in the Rural-Region 4 Final at Bryant Field, it sent the Tigers to their third straight final four.

Trenton had no problem with defending state champion Holmes County (Bonifay) in the state semifinals. The Tigers scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to the title game with an 8-0 victory behind the pitching of junior Mason VunCannon (season-high 101 pitches).

Trenton (23-6) carried a 9-6 lead into the seventh inning against Union County but finished as state runners-up. It denied the Tigers their first state title since 2017.

Buchholz baseball

Just like Trenton, the Buchholz baseball team advanced to its third straight final four.

Buchholz, which also won a fourth straight district title, swept nationally ranked Pace on the road in the 6A-Region 1 Final to get there.

The Bobcats (25-8) rallied past Martin County (Stuart), 3-2 in nine innings, in the Class 6A state semifinals, but their title run came up short with a 5-1 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) in the championship game.

Trenton softball

The dynasty continues for the Trenton softball program, which won its fifth state title since 2019.

The Tigers slipped past Williston, 2-1, in the Rural-Region 4 Final to advance to their third straight final four.

In the Rural State Semifinals on May 19, at Boombah Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood, Trenton edged Madison County, 1-0, behind University of Florida commit Addison Allaire’s 16 strikeouts.

Allaire, the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, drove in four runs with a double and a home run and sophomore Emaleigh Philmon drove in five runs on three hits as Trenton (25-3) crushed Liberty County (Bristol), 13-1 in five innings, to win its third straight state title.

Columbia softball

Columbia (Lake City) completed a Tigers’ trifecta by winning their first state title since their only state championship in 2013.

They were down to their final two outs of the season in the Class 4A state semifinals but had five hits in their final at-bat and scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a walk-off 6-5 win against Seminole.

Behind a complete-game performance from freshman pitcher Ryleigh Stone and a clutch fourth inning at the plate, Columbia edged Lake Wales, 3-2, to win the program’s first softball state title in 13 years.