Magnet’s Baltov connects with girls soccer state Gatorade Player of the Year honor
By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Sports
The selection of Magnet’s Isabella Baltov as the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in girls soccer was not a complete surprise. She has been an elite player her whole high school career. Baltov won the 2026 Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s overall MVP for the 2025-26 season.
But the Gatorade award is a really big deal. It’s also a rarity for any player north of I-10 to win it. She is the first girl in north or central Louisiana to claim the honor, and it comes almost 20 years after the only boy from this part of the state captured it.
That boy: her coach, Nick Flowers.
Baltov’s high school and club coach said after hearing the news, “I can’t think of a more deserving player. She’s had such a massive impact at Magnet and has earned every accolade she’s received.”
Flowers won the award in 2008 and remembers his reaction.
“I was surprised, I never had anywhere near the stats that Izzy does,” he said. “We had such a strong team, that year that it felt like a team award.” The Magnet boys won the state title in 2008.
The connections continue. To complete the circle, Magnet’s coach back in 2008 was Radi Baltov, Isabella’s father.
Baltov took time out of an overseas vacation to describe how she found out she was the winner.
“I woke up early for work and checked my phone and noticed a Instagram notification that said ‘Gatorade wants to send you a message’.”
She ignored it. Then when looking at her Instagram she noticed an ODP regional teammate had been awarded the award for her state. She started looking at each state’s announcement and….
“When I got to Louisiana, I saw my name. I went back to my DM’s and realized Gatorade had tagged me in their post.”
The first thing she did was run downstairs and tell her dad.
“Getting to share it with my dad is something I’ll always remember,” she said.
I am sure he’ll never forget it either.
A couple days later, she’s still aglow with shock and pride.
“Receiving an award of this caliber is incredibly special, and it means even more knowing that my coach, Nick Flowers, is the only male player from the Shreveport area to have earned the same recognition.”
Baltov went on to give credit to Flowers, having played for him in the last seven years in club soccer with Shreveport United 08 girls and her entire four years of her high school career at Magnet. She also played with a HTX 08 GA team, a team in the highest level of national club teams.
Baltov’s father, Radi, also on vacation overseas, skirted around me asking to compare Isabella and Flowers winning the award — very diplomatic of him.
As for his daughter’s latest award, he was extremely happy and excited.
“Knowing how many good players are in Louisiana, winning this award feels very special,” he said.
Recalling Flowers’ win 18 years ago, Baltov said, “Nick was my team captain, the team captain on the 2008 state title winning team.”
Flowers made his coach proud then, and paid him back by guiding Baltov’s daughter to the same top award.
Baltov finished with 54 goals and 17 assists over 17 games in her senior year. She ended her career with a school and parish record 174 goals and added 75 assists.
Baltov will be staying in-state for her collegiate career, heading to Lake Charles to attend D-I McNeese State, giving the local fans easy opportunities to see her play either in Lake Charles, or when the Cowgirls visit Northwestern State, Louisiana Tech, Grambling and UL-Monroe.
In the continuing story of local girls high school soccer, memories stand out of Byrd and Loyola having won state titles and mounting other runs to the finals. Stirring postseason charges have been made by other schools like Magnet, Shreve, Parkway and Calvary.
But not once did the Gatorade Louisiana High School Player of the year come from the Shreveport-Bossier area. And there were many that had arguments to make.
That can never be said again.
Contact David at dersoff@bellsouth.net