On paper, everything pointed to Niceville’s favor. But as we know, unfortunately, games aren’t played on paper.
- After what was unquestionably their best shot at winning a first state title in program history, Niceville will have to wait a little longer, as the Lady Eagles fell to St. Thomas Aquinas 1-0 in the Class 6A state championship Wednesday at Spec Martin Stadium.
The Lady Raiders’ defense was elite and goalkeeper Aimee Colson was on fire. At the 20-minute mark, Belen Cassina fired a goal that sailed past Eden Shaw and into the back of the net for what proved to be the game’s only score — and the first goal Niceville had allowed since the district championship against Pace on Jan. 27.
After that, St. Thomas Aquinas’ defense played lights out, and the Lady Raiders held on to capture a state-record 16th state championship and their first since 2017.
Niceville will be losing a very impactful senior class that was a huge reason for their success — their best player in Jezlyn Nelson, postseason MVP Michelle Melancon, Reagan Shinn and Taylor Kerle.
- At the same time, the Lady Eagles return a lot of talent. Abbey Kuritz, Delaney Diehl, Payten Hart, Molly Johnson, Eden Wise, Courtney Gehringer and Shaw are all expected to return.
While losing those seniors is sure to hurt, the Lady Eagles will be back in 2027.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ title is also the school’s second state championship of the 2025-26 school year, following its football team’s Class 5A state title — the program’s seventh straight — after finishing 14-1 and ranked No. 2 in Florida and No. 10 in the country.
