It’s not often that a team can repeat as champions.

The ones that do are considered to have reached the pinnacle of their sport.

The Chicago Bulls, San Francisco 49ers and New York Yankees come to mind when you think about teams that have won back-to-back championships. Well this week, the Natchez 9-year-old Dixie Youth All-Stars have a chance to join those dynasties — albeit on a smaller scale — as they go for their second consecutive state championship.

Last year, the Natchez team, then eight-year-olds, won the eight-year-old coach pitch state championship, the first one in the history of Natchez.

Most of the players on that team are on this year’s nine-year-old All-Star team as well, and have a chance to do something truly special. The Natchez All-Stars have run through their tournaments undefeated, although they have had a couple of close calls.

They won a one-run game over McComb in the district tournament championship game and then had to survive another one-run affair against Copiah in the deciding Game 2 of the district championship series. They then had to come from behind twice in the South State tournament, rallying from five runs and then four runs down against Laurel in the semifinals and then rallying from a three-run deficit against Copiah in the championship game. No one ever said it was going to be easy. When you’re the defending champions, everyone will be gunning to knock you off.

The San Antonio Spurs know that feeling well. The Spurs are considered a dynasty in the NBA, winning three championships in six years. However, none of their championships have been back-to-back, which is seen as a setback in their claim of being a true dynasty. Another thing that a team trying to become a dynasty is a rival who valiantly tries to knock the champ off. The Yankees had the Boston Red Sox. The 49ers had the Dallas Cowboys. The Natchez All-Stars have the Copiah All-Stars.

Natchez and Copiah have played five times this postseason, with Natchez having won all five meetings. However, two of those games were decided by one run and Copiah had a three-run lead in the championship game of the South State tourney before Natchez came back.

Copiah will try to knock Natchez off once again in the State tourney, as the top two teams from the north and south will take part in the tournament.

Natchez coach Gary Farmer is worried about playing Copiah in the State tourney, seeing that they seem to be getting closer and closer to knocking them off.

Farmer is hoping that the rule of averages does not catch up with Natchez this week and Copiah doesn’t catch lighting in a bottle and knock them off track in their attempt to repeat. If everything goes their way and Natchez can keep rival Copiah — and the other two teams — at bay, they are in for a special experience. Repeating as champions is such a rare feat. If the Natchez 9-year-olds can do it, they should be given all the honor and glory.

Their chance to repeat begins on July 25 in Hattiesburg.

Good luck guys. We’re pulling for you.