South Walton Walks Off North Broward To Win 3A State Title

The Seahawks dogpile to celebrate after winning the Class 3A state championship.

A little boy name Coleman Borthwick stood on the hill and made a promise to his father’s team.

Now a much bigger boy, last year Coleman also made that promise to his teammates, immediately following a devastating loss in the state championship.

On Thursday night, the South Walton Seahawks made good on that vow. For the first time in history, South Walton is a state champion. Thanks to a walk-off squeeze-bunt from Hudson Quinn that capped a wild roller coaster ride also known as the Class 3A state championship, the Seahawks earned a 6-5 victory over the North Broward Prep Eagles to earn the title at long last.

“This feels amazing,” Coleman Borthwick said. “Since losing last year all we have thought about was getting back here. This team works so hard and we believe in each other. I know my brothers will do anything for me. It feels so good to win this, and it means so much to me to win this for my dad.”

South Walton (30-4) had reached this game in each of the past three seasons, falling in the title game to Cardinal Gibbons in 2024 and then to Miami Springs last year. But the journey really began back in 2017, when Seahawks Manager Nick Borthwick brought his team to the state Final Four for the very first time. Although the team lost on a walk-off in the semifinal, it ultimately gained so much from that first experience at the state tournament.

That loss fueled the heart of the coach’s son, who was just a boy there watching as a fan to root on his father and cheer for the players wearing the uniform he was too young to wear yet himself.

“I was just a kid then, but I said someday I will play on this team and we will come win the state championship,” Coleman remembered.

This dedicated group of players has worked as hard as any team, putting in the work year round in order to best prepare themselves for a shot at the championship. South Walton has established itself as a top program both locally, across the state, and also in the national rankings. The team finishes the season with 30 wins, and entered the state playoffs as the top seed in the bracket.

“We give God the glory for this win, but I know the determination that this team had,” Coach Borthwick said. “To come down here after that tough loss last year, I’m just so proud of that. They have worked for this opportunity all year.”

But earning the victory over the North Broward Prep Eagles was no small task. The Eagles (25-8) have also grown into a perennial state powerhouse, with three state titles since 2021. And although South Walton grabbed the lead early and led much of the way, the Eagles flexed late by rallying for three runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie it up at a 5-5 ball game.

“To see a three-run lead go in the seventh was heart-breaking, but we didn’t give in,” Coach Borthwick said. “They tied it up, but we didn’t quit and we didn’t give in. We held on right there.”

With it now a brand new ball game and all evened up again, the Seahawks went to work in the seventh to complete the final crucial chapter to this odyssey. Declan Fowler was hit by a pitch, Carter Hawk singled on a ball that ate up the shortstop, and Jace Cunningham singled to center to load the bases and put the winning run a mere ninety feet away.

Hudson Quinn did not hesitate, as he dropped the bunt down on the first pitch on a play executed so well that Fowler crossed the plate before the ball ever touched the infield grass.

“My guy Quinn is not the best bunter, but he said to me, ‘Coach, I’m going to get it down. I’m squeezing it in and we’ll walk it off right here.’ So he had the confidence, and I’m just proud of those quality at bats,” Coach Borthwick said. “And Declan Fowler has been with me since he was seven years old, so to see him score the winning run was special.”

Every single day South Walton starts every single round of practice with bunts.

“We’ve watched, historically, how small ball leads to big ball in baseball. So we practice bunting a lot,” Coach Borthwick said. “We walked it off earlier this year in Hoover at the Perfect Game High School Showdown, and we just did it again in the state championship. So to see us execute, that is hours and hours of work and practice. We even have a bunt station at practice.”

Declan Fowler crossed the plate with the speed of an airliner to win the game and spark the celebration.

South Walton also got some big knocks to lead the offense. A four-run third inning put the team out in front, fueled by a lead-off double from Coleman. The next three batters reached base to increase the pressure, as a passed ball allowed Coleman to score the first run of the contest. Fowler later delivered an RBI single that drove in Nathan Whitney, Vaughn Howard came in on an error and Parker Granse scored on an RBI ground out from Jace Cunningham.

While it certainly took lots of runs to win, the pitching performances were just as vital for the Seahawks. Senior Denton Lord got the start and delivered a solid performance for his club, several times working his way through jams against a very deep and very lethal North Broward offense.

“As a group, we’ve had this game circled for a long time,” Denton Lord said. “Last year we left here with our hearts broken when we lost 2-1 to Miami Springs, and the goal for me was to go out here and fill up the zone and get us back into the dugout as quick as possible so we could get the bats going. And we did. I had bats behind me all day long, and the defense did their job and we came out on top. I’m very grateful for this team. Just, what a ride!”

Lord dealt with plenty of tight situations, as he allowed all five runs on nine hits, and also hit a batter. Yet he maintained a calm composure even when under the most pressure, and it had a strong effect in relaxing his teammates around him.

“Don’t let the situation be bigger than yourself,” Lord said. “Through the course of my career I’ve learned to pitch more calm, and when situations get tense and the situations get hot, I just step off, take a breather and know that I have eight guys behind me. They are willing to put their lives on the line for me, so especially in a big game like this, you have to stay composed and stay within yourself. That really helped me get through some of those tougher innings.”

Senior Parker Granse came on in relief for the toughest inning, to work his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. The left-hander responded with a huge strikeout that stranded the go-ahead run at third base and set the stage for the Seahawks to walk it off with their next swings.

“It was 3-2 with the bases loaded and you have to give credit to Parker Granse for holding it,” Coach Borthwick said. “I had other options, but he was the guy out there and I trusted him.”

One final key element to the night was the massive amount of fan support the Seahawks received for the game. They had a loud and passionate cheering section, including a ton of the local youths from back home that had made the trip to come down and support the title run.

“Not a lot of people know that we run a lot of camps for the youths in the communities called the South Walton Hawks, which is a non-profit travel organization that is first class,” Coach Borthwick said. “So to see a lot of those kids out here tonight supporting us means a lot. I’m just proud of these kids for coming to cheer for us, and for getting to see this. It’s about a nine-hour drive and it’s not an easy trip to come down here, so to see them here bringing that energy in our favor made me so proud of our fans. I just love our community, and I love this school. This is the first boy’s state championship at South Walton High School!”

Leave a comment using your facebook account!