May 21, 2025
Eustis High Girls Softball Team Set For FHSAA State Semifinal Clash with Wakulla High
By Kyle Coppola
Eustis High Girls Softball Team Set For FHSAA State Semifinal Clash with Wakulla High
EUSTIS, Fla. — The final week of the 2025 high school sports season has arrived, and Eustis High School remains the last Lake County program still in the hunt for a state championship.
The defending FHSAA Class 3A State Champions are just one win away from a return trip to the title game, but standing in their way is a formidable opponent in Wakulla High School. Both teams enter the state semifinal matchup with matching 22-4 records—Wakulla’s only blemish being a tie—and momentum on their side.
Eustis’ path to the semifinals hasn’t come easy. The Panthers narrowly escaped a first-round upset in the Regional Quarterfinals, edging Mount Dora 2-1 in what head coach Tyra Bowers called a “wake-up call.”
“It really reset our focus,” Bowers said. “Since then, we’ve locked in.”
She’s not wrong. Eustis responded with an 8-1 win over South Sumter in the Regional Semifinals and cruised past Crystal River 13-4 in the Regional Final. The Lady Panthers have outscored opponents 23-6 this postseason. But Wakulla has been even more dominant, blanking all three playoff opponents by a combined score of 26-0.
Wakulla’s success starts in the circle, where senior pitcher Charley Butler has been nearly untouchable. The Auburn University commit has racked up 247 strikeouts in 134.1 innings, allowing just nine earned runs all season for a minuscule 0.47 ERA.
Eustis will need its offense to be at its best against Butler, and the bats have delivered all year. Senior slugger Emmy Luke leads the charge with a staggering .500 average, 12 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 39 runs scored.
(Emmy Luke has been outstanding for Eustis at the plate this season. She is swinging a hot bat at the moment. Photo Credit – Joe Ott)
Adrianna Covino paces the team with 40 hits and 40 runs scored, while contributing 21 RBIs and a team-high three triples. Ella Fleming, Brooklyn Powhida, and Kendall Kemp have also provided timely offense during the postseason.
In the circle, Eustis will lean on junior Carson Roden, who took over pitching duties from 2024 standout Skylar Cloud. Roden has held her own, tallying 175 strikeouts in 131.1 innings.
She’ll face a Wakulla lineup led by star catcher and third baseman Cylie Long, who also boasts a .500 average, along with 42 hits, 30 RBIs, and 18 runs scored. Sophomore Parker Stubbs adds another layer to the offense, hitting .345 with 29 hits and 19 RBIs.
Still, while Wakulla leans heavily on elite pitching and a few potent bats, Eustis has shown a more balanced and consistent offensive threat across the lineup.
“We know it’s going to be a battle,” Bowers said. “But if we play our game and minimize mistakes, we like our chances.”
First pitch is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21 at 12:00 p.m. in Sanford. With temperatures expected to soar, the Lady Panthers are hoping their bats stay just as hot as they aim for a second consecutive trip to the FHSAA State Finals.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
