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WEST MONROE, La. – The Concordia Dixie youth 6U All-Stars are headed to the state tournament in Shreveport after an impressive showing in the Louisiana Dixie Youth District 5 tournament  in West Monroe last weekend.

Concordia’s road to the district title wasn’t easy, navigating a tough five-team bracket that required them to play four games – three of which came to tournament host West Monroe. But through grit, determination, and a little heart-to-heart with their coach Jake Brumfield, the young squad rose to the challenge.

“The kids played hard; I couldn’t be more proud,” Brumfield said of the way his team played throughout the tournament.

The tournament opened with a strong 14-2 win over Morehouse, a team out of the Bastrop area. Though Morehouse struck first, scoring two early runs, Concordia quickly settled in and took control throughout the rest of the game.

Then came the West Monroe gauntlet. In their first meeting, Concordia trailed 6-3 heading into the final inning before rallying to tie the game 6-6. Despite Concordia’s late rally, West Monroe was able to respond in the button of the sixth, scoring a walk-off run to win the game.

With little time to regroup, Concordia was back on the field just 20 minutes later in a win-or-go-home rematch against West Monroe. Before the game, Brumfield asked his young team a question: “Are y’all ready to be done playing baseball for the summer?” Their resounding “No, sir” response fueled a resilient performance.

Concordia bounced back with sharper defense and key contributions from a few players. Ben Garner had a standout effort on the mound, while Ezra Smith – one of the team’s 5-year-olds – was a defensive anchor at second base. Rusten Canberry held down first base with poise beyond his years. Concordia carried a 9-5 lead into the final frame before holding off a late push from West Monroe, ending the game with a groundout from Garner to Canberry that gave Concordia the win.

With that victory, Concordia secured their spot in the state tournament – and set up a championship rubber match with West Monroe. On Sunday, the All-stars left no doubt, cruising to an 11-1 win behind a dominant team performance that ended in a run-rule victory.

“That West Monroe team was well-coached and fun to play against,” Brumfield said “ “They were there for the kids, and it made for some great baseball. As a coach, you want to win, sure — but more than that, you want to see good baseball. And we had that.”

The Concordia 6U All-Stars will now travel to Shreveport, where they’ll represent District 5 in the Louisiana state tournament beginning July 3.