MIDDLEBURG - Middleburg High Athletic Director Jay Stilianou, fresh off decades of sports trophies at Clay High told a story about when he took the job at Middleburg a few years ago.

“When I took this job, I had people ask me if I thought they could win over here,” said Stilianou, a football coach in the state championship game, a flag football coach in the state Final Four and a school-wide driving force to tons of state titles individually for the Blue Devils sports programs. “I was told they didn’t win much. Well, we’re state champs baby.”

At Thursday’s state title celebration at Middleburg High School, complete with a Clay County Sheriff escort thanks to Clay High grad Sheriff Michelle Cook, Middleburg High PA Announcer Bob Adamson reminded Middleburg High School softball fans that just five weeks ago, their softball team was sitting with a .500, 11-11, wins and losses record.

“I can, I will, I did, this team was .500 a month ago,” said Adamson to the home field filled side of Broncos stadium at Thursday’s state championship ceremony. “They never quit, they never waivered, they kept with their core beliefs, and worked harder and believed in each other. It is now my honor to introduce a coach that personifies Horsepower, Ashley Houston.”

At Thursday’s state championship celebration, a first-time event in Middleburg High history, Houston displayed her scrappy, vivacious group of athletes that turned that 11-11 mid-season into a nine game run that culminated with two hard-fought 1-0 wins in the Class 5A Final Four tournament; one over Naples in the state semifinal, the second in the Class 5A championship against South Lake High, both in Clermont’s Legends Stadium.

“We’re just so humbled and grateful to everyone who has supported this team,” said Houston, in just her fourth year at Middleburg. “At the beginning of this season, we talked about taking just one game at a time, everything one step at a time and never looking too far ahead. I can honestly say that no matter what our record was, no matter how poorly we played, they always kept fighting. They stayed in the fight all year.”

Houston coined a simple phrase “Finish the Assignment” for the team that held through the final month’s championship run.

“No matter how cheesy it sounds, it worked,” said Houston. “Our kids bought into it because we finished the assignment.”

First baseman Belle Mincey, who hit the gamewinning fourth inning homer in the Broncos championship win, agreed with the “Finish the Assignment.”

“Check, check, we finished the assignment with a 100 percent,” said Mincey.

Senior pitcher Mallory Forrester with her final four games recording game slates of 19, 19, 10 and 10 strikeouts to power the Broncos defense.

“We knew that no matter we played, we had the support of our fans,” said Forrester. “That gave us the determition to finish.”

Final speaker of the night was Bronco athletic director Jay Stilianou, who reminded fans that Forrester was selected as a second team All County team member.

“I think me repeating that because it was important to me, whether it was motivation for them I don’t know,” said Stilianou, who now has his first state champion trophy in the Middleburg hallways. “When I took this job, I had people ask me if I thought they could win over here. Well, we’re state champs baby.”