Fort Meade Dixie Youth Ozone Team Heads to Dixie Youth World Series for Ozone Division 2
By Allison Williams
Images provided by Rachael Stinson
The Fort Meade Dixie Youth Ozone Team is a local baseball team consisting of 11 and 12-year-old players from the Fort Meade area.
Rachael Stinson has a son who plays on the team and she is currently helping the team fundraise for their upcoming travels, as they earned their place in the Dixie Youth World Series for Ozone Division 2 tournament.
They first won the district 8 tournament back on June 17 which qualified them for the State Tournament in Bristol, Florida. They then went on to win the State Tournament. They went undefeated in the tournament, knocking out each team in their division.
State Tournament scores:
July 6: Beat Liberty County with a score of 16-1
July 7: Beat Shalimar with a score of 6-3
July 8: Beat Franklin County with a score of 10-5
July 9: Beat Blountstown with a score of 4-3
Coaches Jemalle Cornelius, JC Barnett and Scott Harrell lead the team of 12.
“Jemalle is the team manager, and JC and Scott are coaches,” Stinson said. “These coaches are the true definition of Leaders and Mentors. They volunteer their time with these boys, teach them the game, and share their knowledge. They care about each player. They are the fuel that drives this team.”
Team players:
Brody Holmes
Bryce Bennett
DeMarion Abrams
Elijah Harrell
Jayden Cornelius
Sam Barnett
Markell Baker
Noe Jaramillo
Omari Russell
Bryce Beam
Owen Harrell
Trenton Willis
In order to travel to the upcoming World Series tournament, the team is accepting donations to help fund the trip and travel costs.
“We are leaving July 24 to head to North Carolina,” Stinson said. “We are responsible for new uniforms, hotel rooms, food and all other travel expenses for this team. There are no schools or big organizations backing this team. We are counting on the generosity of our community to help make this happen.”
To donate and help this accomplished team chase their dreams, they are accepting checks via mail:
Checks can be made out to Fort Meade Dixie Youth and sent to:
PO Box 781
Fort Meade, FL 33841
Other ways to donate including contacting Jemalle Cornelius at 863-838-8348 or Matthew Zahara at 863-559-5902.
Website: www.fortmeadeyouthsports.com.
“This is one of those lifetime accomplishments this team will always remember,” Stinson said. “The bond this team has is so special. The entire town of Fort Meade is excited for them and beyond proud of them. It takes dedication and drive to go this far.”
