It took two games, but the Troy 6U All-Star team took home a state championship on Monday morning after they knocked off Southeastern in two straight in Enterprise.

After falling in game one of the best-of-three series yesterday, Troy bounced back to win game two 17-7 before they won a thrilling game three 29-28 in extra innings to give Troy their first ever 6U state championship.

“I’m extremely proud of how the kids played,” said head coach David Ross. “Winning the tournament is a great experience for them. They put in the work and they deserve to win the championship.”

Despite falling in the district tournament, Troy vowed to get back to work prior to their trip to state. Even though they fell in game one to Southeastern 16-13 on Sunday, they kept themselves in the game.

“The thing I was most proud of was the fact that they kept fighting,” Ross said. “In the first game, we know we didn’t play our best. We came back this morning and had to be ready to play. We came out early and we were ready to play.”

Troy bounced back and forced the third and deciding game after knocking of Southeastern 17-7, shifting momentum back to their side.

“We came out and played really well on defense,” Ross said. “We won 17-7 in four innings and that generated a lot of momentum for us.”

Ross believes that win for Troy put Southeastern in unfamiliar territory.

“You could tell Southeastern hadn’t experienced being beaten like that,” Ross said. “It kind of rattled them a little bit and shook their confidence some. When we got in the championship game, it was just a battle.”

The final game of the tournament went back and forth, with each team trading the lead throughout the entire contest.

Troy had a lead with two outs in the sixth inning before Southeastern battled back to get the advantage. Troy battled back in their half of the sixth and evened the score, sending the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Cole Cleveland hit in Jordan Green to send Troy home with a trophy.

“It was a great game to watch despite the fact that they’re six-year-old kids,” Ross said. “Both teams played very hard and Southeastern had a great team. It was just a back-and-forth battle the entire game.”

All summer long the ultimate goal for Ross and Troy was to win, but at the same time, the opportunity for these young players to play was a win in itself. This team becoming Troy’s first 6U team to win a state championship was an added bonus.

“It builds a strong foundation,” Ross said. “They learn what it takes to win. They saw the results and the fruits of their labor. They worked hard and they came out victorious. That is something they can take with them in future years as they get older.”

Along with Ross, The Troy 6U team was coached by Michael Precise, Keith Jeffcoat and Trey Houlton. The players include Drew Blankenship, Cole Cleveland, Jaylin Copeland, Bryce Davis, Samuel Frost, Bradunn Golden, Jordan Green, Noah Houlton, Tucker Jeffcoat, Parker Precise, Judson Ross and JD Vaughn.