By “Doc” Doug Stauffer
There are some nights at City Hall when the best thing on the agenda has nothing to do with ordinances, budgets or roads. Tuesday, August 11, was one of those nights as the Niceville City Council had the privilege of recognizing the Niceville-Valparaiso Little League 8-10 All-Stars, the 2026 Florida Little League Baseball State Champions. The City of Niceville proudly celebrated the team afterward as the “Niceville Little League STATE CHAMPS!”
It had been 16 years since a Niceville Little League baseball team at any age level had brought home a Florida state championship. These young men changed that with a remarkable summer run that took them from the District 1 championship through Section 1 and eventually to St. Augustine for the Florida championship.
Niceville dominated Section 1, defeating Northwest Leon 16-1 and 6-0. At state, the competition became tougher, but the victories kept coming. Niceville opened with a 15-5 win over Viera Suntree, followed by an 8-5 victory over North Naples. Their only setback came in a narrow 6-5 loss to Dunedin, located near Clearwater in the Tampa Bay area.
That loss could have ended the dream. Instead, Niceville advanced through a three-team tiebreaker based on the fewest runs allowed, earning a championship matchup with undefeated Winter Garden.
With everything on the line, the Niceville All-Stars responded. They defeated Winter Garden 6-3 and brought the Florida championship banner home to Okaloosa County.
Winning Florida was not the end of their journey. The team traveled 779 miles to Wilson, North Carolina, to represent the Sunshine State in the Tournament of State Champions. For the 8-10 division, the tournament represents the highest level of postseason competition available. Niceville advanced all the way to the semifinals before South Carolina champion Northwood Little League ended the run with a hard-fought 5-3 decision.
At the August City Council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Alley and the Niceville City Council recognized the players and coaches with a proclamation honoring their championship season. The team, in turn, presented the City of Niceville with a signed jersey—a fitting keepsake from a group of young men who represented their community so well.
Great coaching produces outstanding results, but youth sports are about far more than the final score. They teach young people how to prepare, work together, handle adversity, and represent something larger than themselves. Those lessons do not happen by accident. They come because adults are willing to invest their time, experience, and encouragement in the next generation.
Niceville-Valparaiso Little League is the largest organized baseball program for boys and girls in District 1, and it is powered by volunteers. Niceville’s recreation facilities have long been part of that partnership. The city’s softball complex, established in 1975, serves as a home for Little League baseball and softball.
Head Coach Chris Brunson was joined by assistant coaches Jacob Lovell, Justin Brazell and Alex Sandroni. The championship roster included Kellan Tomaschko, Carson Forehand, Chase Lovell, Gunner Gheen, Porter Brunson, Bodhi Spillman, Tyler Broussard, Isaac Dwyer, Liam Sandroni, Pierson Dvorak, Winston Winterer and Jordan Brazell.
It was a joy to meet these young champions at City Hall and congratulate them personally. Their trophy and banner tell us what they accomplished on the baseball field. Their teamwork, sportsmanship, and determination tell us something even more important about the young people who will someday lead our community.
Niceville is proud of its 2026 state champions—and rightly so.
