This could have been a story about another athlete who got away. Like Benji Maher before him, Trevor Williams was a budding baseball star in the Natchez Dixie Youth leagues and made All-Stars every year since he was old enough to play ball.

When people would point to a kid as one to keep an eye on, Williams &045; a left-hander with good size and ability for his age &045; was one of them.

But he got away. Last summer he and his family moved to Petal.

A funny thing happened this week. Williams and his family &045; step-dad Al Hall and mom Jennifer &045; made a return trip to Natchez when the Petal 11-year-old All-Stars earned a berth in the state tournament that Natchez was scheduled to host.

It’s been a year since then, but you’d swear Williams and his family just moved away last week.

&8220;I got here Friday night and went to the little cookout they had, all the kids greeted me like I never left,&8221; said Hall, who helped coach the teams Williams played on in Natchez. &8220;The next question was, &8216;Where’s T.W.?’ They treated me like I never left.

&8220;I’ve known since the beginning of the year Natchez would be hosting the 11-year-old state tournament. Unbeknownst to the rest of the team, it’s been our goal to play as hard as we could play to get back here.&8221;

This week has been special for Trevor and his family, since Hall is also a Natchez native. They had to move away from Natchez just prior to the start of last school term when Hall sold his business and prepared for a career change when he started becoming qualified to be a real estate appraiser.

Jennifer still maintains her business in McComb, but the family was able to move into an area that boasts of one of the best public school systems in the state and is also known for solid baseball teams on a yearly basis.

That fit Williams just fine, who also played football and basketball in elementary school but loves baseball so much his career goal right now is to some day pitch for the Atlanta Braves.

&8220;The biggest thing about leaving Natchez for both of us was leaving our friends,&8221; Hall said. &8220;Trevor grew up here. The kids have been like brothers to him. When you move to a new community, you make friends but they’re not bonding friends like the ones you grew up with. But we’re enjoying Petal. Natchez is always going to be home, but the people of Petal have been good to us.&8221;

Those associated with the baseball program welcomed him, too. Trevor has gotten a little taller and bigger since then &045; his dad reports his weight up seven pounds from last year &045; while anchoring first base for the All-Stars in the tournament.

Yet he spent most of the regular season playing shortstop &045; a rare left-handed shortstop &045; while spending some time on the mound.

So far in the tournament he’s gotten the loudest reception of any visiting player, and Monday he had a chance to play against his old friends when Natchez took a 3-2 win over Petal.

With everything on the line in the state tournament, a funny thing happened. Trevor spent the night at friend Trevor Farmer’s house, and during the day Farmer accompanied the Petal team on a trip to the movies before the two teams played.

&8220;They’re all kids who want to have a good time,&8221; Hall said. &8220;They’re just kids.&8221;

Trevor may be turn out to be another one who got away. But maybe he won’t be that far away.

Adam Daigle

is sports editor of The Democrat. Reach him at (601) 445-3632 or at adam.daigle@ natchezdemocrat.com.