Community honors Eustis softball champs with downtown parade

EUSTIS — The honors continue to pour in for the Eustis High School softball team.

Among the biggest came Wednesday when city officials recognized the Panthers’ Class 4A state championship with a downtown parade and celebration at Ferran Park.

Several hundred residents and supporters turned out for the celebration, which began at the library with a parade and ended at the bandshell. Members of the Eustis police and fire department accompanied along the parade route, attracting attention for the winners with their emergency and sirens.

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“This is a very proud night for all of us,” said Eustis Mayor Michael Holland. “We’re here to pay tribute to a group of girls who dedicated themselves to bring a state championship to Eustis. And then they went out and did that just that.”

The celebration was less than a week after the Panthers won the Class 4A softball state championship with a 5-0 win against Brooksville Hernando. It was a dominant victory that capped a 27-1 season and made Eustis the first public school program from Lake County to win a fastpitch softball state title. 

At the bandshell, Holland was the first of a number of city, county and school district officials to pay tribute to the team. Panthers Coach Brittany Beall introduced the players and coaches to the Panther Nation, which weathered 90-plus degree temperatures for the celebration.

Holland also read a city proclamation that noted the team’s numerous accomplishments and proclaimed the team as state champions.

Players and coaches wore the gold medals they were awarded for winning the state title, along with T-shirts that proclaimed their accomplishment.

Sean Parks and Leslie Campione, members of the Lake County Board of Commissioners, were among the county officials on hand for the celebration.

“We are so proud of everyone on this team,” said Campione, who is also a Eustis graduate. “This celebration is our chance to say ‘thank you’ as a community to all of you for your hard work.”

Eustis High School Principal Tracy Clark praised the team’s seniors, many of whom he first met when they were freshman at the ninth-grade facility. 

“This is certainly one of my proudest moments as principal of Eustis High School,” Clark said. “This community is special and the pride it has for our school and the students is incredible. For me, I just think back to walking the halls at our Curtwright campus and seeing our seniiors when they were freshmen. You could tell even then they were destined to do something special, just by the way the conducted themselves. 

“And they leaving Eustis High School as champions.”

Clark also paid tribute to the Beall, her coaching staff and the players who came before to help lay the foundation for this year’s team, acknowledging the Panthers’ 2017 appearance in the Class 5A state championship game.

“It takes time and a lot — a lot — of work to build a dynasty,” Clark said. “And folks, you’re looking at a dynasty.” 

In addition to the city proclamation acknowledging the Panthers’ state title, Lake County Schools Athletic Diretor Don Hogan announced team would also be recognized June 14 when School Board members next meet.

After hearing all the praise and accolades for her, Beall and two of her seniors — Bella Andujar and Paris Key — capped off the ceremony by thanking the community and, in particular, the parents of her players.

She asked the parents step forward, to the base of the bandshell, and face the crowd to be formally recognized for their contributions to her program.

“If it wasn’t for their support, I don’t know if we’re standing here,” Beall said. “They, along with the community financial help, allowed us to give these girls a trip to the state finals we hope they will never forget. The support we get from our parents and community doesn’t get talked about enough, but it’s certainly played a role in us winning a state championship.”

After Key backed up Beall’s comments about the support of parents and the community, Andujar, who scored a run in the championship-game victory as did Key, put a bow on last week’s state championship and the celebration.

“It’s a great way to go out,” said Andujar.