The Bartram Trail girls soccer team is headed to the state championship game.
The Bears beat Sunlake 1-0 on Thursday in the Class 6A state semifinals at the Lake Myrtle Sports Park in Auburndale. The win sends Bartram (17-1-4) into its fourth state title game in the past six seasons on Saturday. The Bears will face either St. Thomas Aquinas or Lakewood Ranch at 7 p.m. for the crown. Northern St. Johns County schools have cleaned up on the championship stage in recent years.
After a handball on Sunlake inside the final minute of the opening half, Kate Kirby had a beautiful indirect kick lob that Ali Fletcher timed beautifully. Fletcher cut across on the lob and got in front of her defender before putting the ball in the net on a perfect header and her 21st goal of the season in the 39th minute. From there, it was all Bartram defense, which led the Bears into the title game.
Nease was a powerhouse under former head coach Dave Silverberg, winning four championships (2002, ‘05-06, ‘08) in a seven-year span. Ponte Vedra followed after that, winning four titles and playing for three more. Bartram won titles in 2021-22 and ‘23. Creekside knocked off Bartram in the regional rounds in 2022 and ‘24 to win a pair of championships.
Bartram head coach Jennifer Rodriguez is 3-1 in state championship games and is the area’s third most accomplished girls soccer coach behind Silverberg (eight championships) and St. Johns Country Day’s Mike Pickett (14 titles).