The Newton County Recreation Commission has primarily played in the Dixie Boys League for youth baseball throughout its history. This season, the NCRC participated in the Little League Baseball Association with the exception of the 13 and 14-year-olds Dixie Boys league team.

Newton County's 7 and 8-year-old All-Stars recently won the district championship held in Gainesville.

Newton County won all five of its games and earned a berth to the state tournament, which was cancelled.

Although the young district champions from Newton were disappointed, they were still accomplished.

The team had played strictly against pitchers throughout the season at the City Pond Park Complex but during the district tournament faced a change in rules. Each team had to face live pitching for two innings, before playing four innings against a pitching machine.

Unfamiliar with machine pitching, Newton County practiced against it for two weeks before the tournament opener. Once at the tournament, Newton County won 9-2, 9-4, 11-10, 13-6 and 13-6.

Newton County scored 28 runs during the five games and gave up just one against a live pitcher.

"We did very well with kid pitch and OK against machine," coach Lance Cawthon said. "We were very good on defense and our pitching was very good in those games."

The team was excited for their five wins and district championship, but was looking forward to a chance to prove they were the best in the state.

"Not only the kids but the parents were a little let down too," Cawthon said. "They wanted to see what the kids could do in the first year in Little League."

The 7- and 8-year old team may not have gotten a chance at a state title, but did bring home a large trophy for the Newton County Recreation Commissions office, and was given individual trophies by the NCRC.

"They were all excited," Cawthon said. "We had been playing together since 6-years old and all the kids knew going into the thing that we love to win and wanted to go as far as we could."