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NEWS: SUNSHINE CONFERENCE CHAMPION CROWNED

WEST FLORIDA FLAMES TAKE THIRD STRAIGHT TITLE

Published Jul 3, 2025

Photo courtesy West Florida Flames

WEST FLORIDA FLAMES TAKE SUNSHINE
CONFERENCE TITLE FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR

For the third straight year, West Florida Flames are the Sunshine Conference champions.

West Florida went an unbeaten 6-2-0 to clinch the conference title.

“Winning the conference championship is an incredible achievement. Doing it for the third year in a row and going unbeaten for two straight seasons speaks volumes about the quality of our players and staff,” Jamie McGuinness, West Florida Flames head coach, said. “It’s a true testament to the energy, relentless effort, and unwavering dedication the players brought to every training session and every match.”

West Florida Flames came into the final game of the regular season needing to pick up three points on the road over the always tough, FC PrimeTime. Things began to look bleak for West Florida after going down a goal in the 40^th minute before McKenna Batilla scored twice in the final 10 minutes to give West Florida the 2-1 win and a one-point margin at the top of the table over Florida Premier FC and Jacksonville Armada FC.

“From day one, we asked everyone to fully commit to the process and to represent West Florida Flames with pride and passion and they delivered that in every way. For the club, it’s a proud milestone that reflects the culture we’ve been building across our female programs,” McGuinness said.

Katie Johnston (University of Florida 2025- ) led the club with six goals—including a Matchweek Five hat trick versus Fusion FC—in six appearances, followed by Lily Borders (Florida Gulf Coast University 2025- ) with four goals in two appearances.

The biggest highlight wasn’t a single moment, it was the fun, competitive, and positive environment that was created and sustained throughout the entire season. That atmosphere made every training session and every game something special for everyone involved.

At the other end of the field, a committee of six different goalkeepers earned starts for West Florida this season, posting a collective .88 goal against average with three clean sheets.

Co-captain Hayden Lepley (Mercer University 2024- ), who came up through the club’s youth team ranks and has played for the club said this year’s conference title resonated a little more than the last two.

“Winning the conference championship means a lot to me, it feels like a way of giving back to the club that helped shape me as a player and played such a big role in getting me to where I am now in my college career,” she said. “Being able to come home each summer and be part of something historic with the Flames is something I’m incredibly proud of."