NATCHEZ — The Natchez Dixie Youth 12-year-old All-Stars got a rare weekend off for the Fourth of July weekend, head coach Gary Farmer said. But Tuesday night the team was back at Duncan Park preparing for its district championship matchup with Pine Hill.

“They are doing really well,” Farmer said. “I always tell them the need to get better every time we play. Our hitting, defense and pitching need to improve to make it to state, and they have done that so far.”

Farmer said the players have been working hard to prepare for the Thursday’s opener of the district championship series.

“We practice and they work hard,” Farmer said. “We have a good time, but we get the work done.”

Farmer said his team’s cohesiveness led them through the sub-district tournament against Franklin County in Bude last week.

“I am really impressed with the way they have come together as a team. They have gelled,” Farmer said.

Farmer said the team needed that camaraderie to get through a couple of tough obstacles in the sub-district.

“We started a little slow,” Farmer said. “Lincoln (County) Nationals jumped on us in the first game, we won but it wasn’t our best effort.

“The next night against the Lincoln Americans we beat them and I saw the confidence level grow every game (after that.”

Natchez did drop a game to Franklin County before coming back to beat them twice Friday to take the sub-district title.

“We got beat, but I’ve had most of these (players) about four years, and I knew the believed they weren’t going to lose,” Farmer said.

Natchez outfielder Phillip Roberts, a first-year All-Star, said he enjoys playing with more on the line.

“(All-Stars) is really fun, better than league games, because there is more at stake, and we can advance,” Roberts said.

Roberts and fellow first-year All-Star outfielder Cole Mosby said their favorite part of All-Stars and what they look forward to most is winning.

A large group of the 12-year-old team has gotten used to winning in an All-Star setting, Farmer said.

Last season the team was one win away from making it to the state title, it was the first year they did not reach the championship round since Farmer started coaching the team four years ago, he said. That first season, in coach pitch, the team won the state championship, he said.

Farmer said seven of the 12 players on the current roster were members of that state championship team, including Farmer’s son Brock.

Brock said he tries to let his teammates that did not experience that championship know how special it was to motivate them to win it again.

Brock said he hopes, “to win the district and then keep on going.”

Gary said he thinks his team has the ability to continue to win in the tournament, but he knows they are putting in the work to win.

“They will be prepared, I know that, win or lose,” he said.

Natchez will face Pine Hills at 7 p.m. Thursday in Gloster. Game 2 will be 6:30 p.m. Friday in Natchez. Game 3, if necessary, will immediately follow game 2 at Duncan Park.