NATCHEZ — Adams County Christian School’s Jake Brumfield described this year’s Rebel baseball team as a family. If that was the case, then Brumfield was the unquestioned head of the household this season.

Brumfield provided a dominant force on the mound, going 7-3 with a 0.40 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 58 innings, and at the plate, batting .471 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs.

His ability to do everything well, and the leadership he provided his Rebels during their 16-6-1 campaign earned Brumfield All-Metro Player of the Year honors this season.

Brumfield said he it was an honor to be recognized over players like Trinity’s Jake Winston, Centreville’s Hunter Devall and Cliff Hurst and Cathedral’s Caleb Upton.

“Out of all the players in this area, it’s an honor (to be selected),” Brumfield said. “It could have gone to any of those guys. I can’t say that I’m the best player. I just happened to have a good year.”

Brumfield was happy with what he was able to do at the plate this season, considering he was still getting used to the new BBCOR bats. But he was especially pleased with the way he pitched.

“All my pitches came together this year,” he said. “My fastball was faster than ever, and I had two breaking balls to go along with that. As a hitter I know that’s hard to deal with.”

Despite huge numbers, Brumfield said he would remember his friendships more than his hits and strikeouts.

“I had such a great time with all these guys,” he said. “We really were a family. Anything anybody ever needed we got done. If we had slumps someone picked us up. This was our most complete ACCS baseball team, and it sucks we didn’t get to prove it in the playoffs.”

Brumfield said the culmination of his baseball career came on senior night when all seven ACCS seniors got a taste of victory.

“It was our last game (at home), and all seven seniors pitched,” he said.

Fellow-senior Chris Carrell hit a game-winning home run, and Brumfield said he could not have felt better even if the ball had come of his bat.

“That was the best feeling in the whole season,” Brumfield said. “I was proud for him and our team.”

Brumfield was a fixture for the Rebels for several seasons, and he got the taste of a district championship in his freshman year. But he said this year’s team had something special, even if it missed the postseason.

“We were one win away this year, but I would take this team over our ninth-grade year any day,” he said. “The ninth-grade team was fun, but we weren’t a family. It was just a team.”

Brumfield is headed to Pearl River Community College to play baseball next season, and he hopes he will be able to create the same bonds with his new teammates as he had with his brothers from ACCS.

“I hope it’s like that in junior college,” he said. “If it is, I’ll love it.”

Brumfield also had the opportunity to play in the MAIS All-Star game last month. He said it was special to get to pitch in the same game with Winston, his lifelong friend.

“It was fun being on the same team,” he said. “We rode up together and got to pitch together. We put up three consecutive zeros against the North (team) and shut them down.”