There are so many charming anecdotes about state champ Izzy Douglas to unpack.
Like how, despite her throwing all 48 innings of the postseason in Fort Walton Beach’s unprecedented 7-0 run to the 4A state title, the rising Viking senior doesn’t consider herself a pitcher.
Like how she went from being an underclassman who lacked confidence and “cried after almost every game,” to a radiant source of positivity that was the face of Fort Walton softball’s ability to play free and loose.
Like how, as she credits her defense and a murderer’s row of bats for making her job easier, she somehow morphed into the team-leader in RBIs even with a sprained left wrist during the postseason.
Like how she’s better suited to list her favorite Bible verses rather than her all-state stats — “For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory,” she’d repeat to herself during every postseason win, reciting Psalm 149:4.
And lastly, there’s the reality that the Vikings’ bid for back-to-back state titles next year will be her last, Douglas’ faith offering her a future beyond the softball diamond.
But therein lies the appeal of our Daily News 2024-2025 Female Athlete of the Year, who received 48,681 votes to edge Niceville’s Carson Fayard and Choctaw’s Diaris Morales.
“It’s an honor,” Douglas said of the award. “I feel so loved and supported from all the people who voted.”
It’s the perfect cap to a postseason run that “wasn’t about one person.”
“It was all of us contributing together,” Douglas said of a crew that was voted our 2024-2025 Team of the Year after embracing the postseason with four one-run wins and two in extra innings. “Everyone was so genuine and we stayed humble. There was no pressure. Nobody put expectations on us, so we just played free. It was like playing whiffle ball out there.”
Douglas was at the core of it all.
At the dish, she drove in nine, logged seven hits, had an on-base percentage above .300 and scored five runs. That included two clutch doubles, two RBIs and two runs in the state championship win as she finished the season with a .347 batting average, seven homers and a team-leading 35 RBIs.
In the circle, she struck out 29 and allowed just 14 earned runs over the seven complete games. There was the 10-inning marathon district championship over Arnold where she scattered seven hits and eight walks. There was the one-hitter over Menendez to open regionals. There was the eight-inning effort in the region championship rematch with Arnold, lifting the Vikings to their very first Final 4. Then, in Wildwood, she stranded the tying run in the seventh inning to cap the complete-game, 7-6 4A championship win over American Heritage.
“I had always been behind Ava,” Douglas said of her former teammate, Ava Smith, now at Wallace State Community College. “Even heading into high school, I was her backup. I was in her shadow. (Being the ace) brought something different out of me this year. It was my turn.”
And her relationship with our 2024-2025 COY, Taryn Gray, helped guide her at every turn.
“She’s one of the most caring people ever,” Douglas said. “She doesn’t just want to make you a better player, she wants to make you a better person.”
Now Douglas, Gray and a team that lost only three seniors can focus on running it back.
“It’s exciting,” Douglas said. “We’ll see who’s coming up from middle school and we know we have lot of talent coming back.”
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Fort Walton Beach softball’s Izzy Douglas voted Daily News Female Athlete of the Year
Reporting by Seth Stringer, Northwest Florida Daily News / Northwest Florida Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
