Lincoln High baseball winning the Class 5A state title extended beyond the field — and required a quick turnaround for two seniors.
Jacob Knowles and Christian Ferguson left Fort Myers soon after the Trojans defeated Winter Springs on Wednesday at Hammond Stadium, making the six-hour trip back in time to walk across the stage with the rest of the 434 students at graduation, still wearing their championship medals at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
“A six-hour drive straight from Fort Myers to graduate on the same day is just crazy,” Knowles told the Tallahassee Democrat. “My baseball career and my high school education came to a close on the same day, and I couldn’t be more satisfied.”
With graduation expected to end at around 9 p.m., both Ferguson and Knowles were cutting it close. Knowles had a 30-minute head start before Ferguson. Both drove all the way through the interstate with their parents.
Prior to the game, Lincoln made arrangements to allow the two seniors to be called to the stage last, buying them enough time to make it to the ceremony. They made it with only a half an hour to spare.
It was a unique experience like no other, and one that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.
A season the Lincoln baseball seniors will always remember
“I was taken through one of the side entrances while also being interviewed about the game. I walked in, took a seat in the back row next to Jacob. Not long afterward, our names were called, and we got to walk across the stage with the recognition of being a Lincoln graduate and a state champion. It’s for sure something I’ll never forget.”
Ferguson, who played 7⅓ innings as a pitcher all year, plans on attending FAMU in hopes of playing for the Rattlers baseball team as a walk-on.
For Knowles, a reserve player who appeared in 14 games, the title underscored the significance of the achievement as he will move on to Florida State as a full-time student.
“Winning a state championship means everything,” he said. “It’s the result of relentless work and dedication. I may not have been a high-achieving player, but I’m lucky to be in this position.”
He added: “A lot of players better than me will never get to say they won one. I dreamed of this since I was a freshman, and for it to come true in a season like this is unbelievable. I’m blessed to be a Lincoln Trojan.”
Meanwhile, the rest of the four seniors continued to celebrate on the team bus while the rest of the seniors reflected on a journey defined as much by perseverance as talent.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Lincoln coach Mike Gauger said. “We had tremendous support before our trip, and it’s fantastic that we were able to bring something back for them.”
‘We didn’t care about our record’: Senior leadership delivers season turnaround
For Lincoln’s seniors, the victory carried extra weight.
After years of near misses and a season that teetered on the brink, Lincoln finally broke through to claim their first state title since 2017.
The past two trips ended in disappointment, with long, silent rides home. This time, the nearly 500-mile return to Tallahassee was filled with selfies with the championship trophy, social media posts and the satisfaction of finishing what they had started.
Lincoln’s title run was unlikely. The Trojans finished the regular season 11-14, but regrouped once the postseason began.
“We didn’t care about our record,” said senior outfielder Cody Garber, who led the team with two hits at state. “We knew it was a whole different season once we got into the postseason. It doesn’t matter how many losses we had in the regular season.”
With its season on the line, Lincoln embraced the challenge. The Trojans won their district title, then earned road playoff victories over Chiles and Niceville to reach the final four — all away from home.
“It’s a testament to their fortitude,” Gauger said. “We were 11-14 in the regular season, and these guys just made up their mind and kept fighting every pitch and every inning. They pulled off a couple of upsets early, started to believe, and finishing it is unbelievable.”
The team’s six seniors anchored that belief. They had reached the state semifinals in each of the past two seasons, falling short each time despite rosters that included standout talent such as former teammate Myles Bailey, now at Florida State.
This year, they were determined to change the outcome.
“We just stuck to our approach,” Garber said. “Make our plays and do everything we practice, and we felt like we’d be in a good spot to win.”
Even sidelined players contributed. Clemson signee Lucas Cannady missed most of the season with an arm injury but remained a constant presence.
“It’s the heart, grit and brotherhood,” Cannady said. “At the end of the day, that’s what got us here. I’m very thankful for that.”
For a team that spent much of the spring fighting uphill, the Trojans’ final chapter was defined by resilience — and a long-awaited championship ride home that, this time, no one wanted to end.
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Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics and Big Bend Preps for the Tallahassee Democrat. If you like to pitch a story on a high school athlete, don’t hesitate to get in touch with him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How Lincoln baseball seniors celebrated state title, graduation on same day
Reporting by Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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