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Baker’s Will Sloan threw over 204 feet to set a Florida javelin record and win the Class 1A state title, while Choctaw flag football five-peated as regional champs and Rocky Bayou’s 4×800 relay made school history with its first state title. Baker coach Matt Brunson was named to the FHSAA Hall of Fame, and Niceville and Crestview lifters competed at state. Also, Okaloosa’s America 250 parade postponed, 2026 graduation ceremonies announced, Fort Walton Beach’s finance director wins an award, and Niceville’s “Footloose” final shows.
AMERICA 250
Okaloosa’s America 250 Celebration and Grand Parade postponed due to weather
The Okaloosa County America 250 Commission has postponed Saturday’s Patriot’s Day events, including the 1 p.m. pre-parade celebration and concert and the Grand Parade, citing weather forecasts predicting rain and a high probability of thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday.
Commission Chairman Graham Fountain said in a Tuesday press release that the commission plans to reschedule a similar event later in the celebration year. Make-up events are likely in the fall after students return to school, he said.
The Okaloosa County Department of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service and the event’s law enforcement and public safety team strongly recommended against holding the celebration or parade in rough weather, according to Fountain.
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GAMES
WordroW: May 8, 2026
WordroW is brought to you by Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic – keeping your mind sharp and your spine aligned, one game at a time.
Can you guess today’s 5-letter word in six tries?
WordroW is Get The Coast’s daily word puzzle featuring local words, places, and phrases from our community. You have six guesses to find the mystery word – green letters are correct and in the right spot, yellow letters are in the word but wrong position, and gray letters aren’t in the word at all.
SCHOOL
Niceville High’s ‘Footloose’ plays final three shows this weekend
The Niceville High School Theatre Department will present the closing weekend of its production of “Footloose” this weekend, with three remaining performances of the Broadway musical that opened last weekend to packed houses.
- “Footloose,” based on the 1984 film of the same name, is presented through permission by Concord Theatricals of New York, NY.
NHS Theatre Director Ritchie Jackson, a 1982 graduate of the school, said the department aims for college-level production values, with large dance numbers, detailed sets, quick scene changes and strong vocal performances.
“Our audiences have come to expect excellence from our shows, and we always work hard to give them that,” Jackson said. “At NHS, high school theatre is not what you remember it being.”
SPORTS
Baker head football coach Matt Brunson named to FHSAA Hall of Fame
Matt Brunson, who built Baker into one of Florida’s premier small-school football programs and delivered the coverage area its first state championship in 25 years, has been named to the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame for the 2026 class.
The honor caps a career defined by winning at two schools within the coverage area, with 22 playoff appearances, 13 district titles, 12 Final Four appearances, four state championship game appearances and a 288-85 overall record.
Brunson’s connection to Baker football traces back to his playing days, when he was a standout linebacker during the Gators’ 1980s dynasty that produced three consecutive state titles and a 42-game winning streak. He later returned as defensive coordinator on the 1993 state championship team.
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SCHOOL
Okaloosa elementary students explore STEM at FIRST Explore Festival
Students from five Okaloosa County elementary schools gathered at the new Edwins Elementary STEM Lab for a FIRST Explore Festival celebrating their yearlong work in science, technology, engineering and math.
Participants came from Edwins, Elliott Point, Longwood, Shalimar and Wright elementary schools. The festival was designed to increase STEM visibility and encourage future student participation in the field.
The Doolittle Institute STEM Outreach, the Okaloosa Public School Foundation and the Okaloosa County School District partnered for a year to organize the event, focusing the collaboration on providing enrichment opportunities to students who might not otherwise have access to STEM programs.
SPORTS
Baker’s Will Sloan wins Class 1A state javelin title, sets Florida record with 204-foot throw
Baker School junior Will Sloan is a state champion.
- Sloan won the Class 1A state javelin title on Wednesday at UNF Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, launching a throw of 204 feet, 9 inches (62.40 meters) to set a new Florida state record for Class 1A and the state series. He is currently ranked No. 24 in the nation.
The previous Class 1A record of 193 feet, 2 inches had stood since 2021, when Nicholas Veynovich set the mark. Sloan broke it on his very first throw of the finals, launching 195 feet, 11 inches. Then on his second attempt, he shattered his own freshly set record with the 204-8 mark that held up as the winning throw.
All four of Sloan’s throws in the finals landed between 190 and 205 feet. His winning mark cleared second-place finisher Baker Costar of Geneva School by more than 13 feet.
Sloan was previously our Athlete of the Week, presented by Okaloosa Gas. Click here to read our full story on his win
SPORTS
Choctaw flag football claims fifth straight regional championship with 33-20 win over Paxon
At multiple points this season, it seemed like there was a good chance this Choctaw team would see its Final Four streak snapped. At multiple points in Thursday’s regional final, it seemed like Paxon School for Advanced Studies might be the team to do it.
The Lady Golden Eagles were clearly the best chance to deny Choctaw a fifth straight trip to the Final Four. Head Coach Jim Bay expected a dogfight.
- It was. But this is Choctaw. Regional titles are the standard.
“We knew they were going to come in fired up. We play them a lot, we see them often during the summer,” Bay said. “We knew they were a talented team, so we just had to do our job.”
SPORTS
Rocky Bayou makes history at 1A state track and field championships, plus more sports
ROCKY BAYOU: In what has already been a banner year for Rocky Bayou athletics, the Lady Knights added another milestone. The 4 x 800 relay team of Karissa Rossell, Selah Gayle, Kayla Keener and Ruth Alldredge became the first relay team in school history to win a state title, finishing in 9:28.81 — just 4.75 seconds ahead of runner-up Providence School. Click here to read the full track and field recap
DESTIN: The Lady Sharks’ Cinderella season has come to an end. The Destin flag football team fell 40-13 to a strong Bolles squad on Thursday night in the Elite Eight of the FHSAA 1A Girls Flag Football State Championship Tournament. Click here to read the recap
NICEVILLE, CRESTVIEW: Niceville and Crestview sent their qualifiers to the RP Funding Center on Day 2 of the 2026 FHSAA Boys’ Weightlifting State Championships, with the 3A competition taking center stage. Both programs came away with top-10 finishes as Brodie Lacanilao represented the Eagles and Jaxon Caudill carried the flag for the Bulldogs. Click here for the full recap
CHOCATW, FWBHS: The 2026 FHSAA Boys’ Weightlifting State Championships opened Wednesday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, with the 2A classification kicking off the three-day event. Here’s a look at how the area’s two 2A programs — Choctaw and Fort Walton Beach — fared.
ICYMI
News you don’t want to miss…
GRADUATION: The Okaloosa County School District announced upcoming graduation ceremonies honoring the Class of 2026. District officials said the ceremonies will recognize seniors as they reflect on their accomplishments and prepare for life beyond high school. Click here for details for each school
CITY AWARD: Fort Walton Beach’s finance director brings fiscal discipline. After a period of scandal and staff turnover, Smart Cities Dive Public Service Award winner Nicole Nabors is rebuilding trust through technology and transparency. Click here to read the story
PHOTO CONTEST: The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance has launched its 2026 Amateur Photo Contest, a Mattie Kelly Environmental Initiative, in celebration of Earth Day. The annual contest invites amateur photographers of all skill levels to submit original images showcasing the natural beauty and ecological heritage of Choctawhatchee Bay and surrounding areas. Click here to get the details
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Friday. Help us shape the future of local news and make a meaningful impact on your community. Click here to learn how you can support us!
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Jared
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