The Prince Edward-Farmville Youth Association (PEFYA) Debs all-star team will see some key players age out after this year, but before they part ways on the diamond, they want to win a fourth straight state championship together.

The 12-team 2019 Dixie Softball Debs State Tournament begins Friday in Concord. Amid the six games being played on the first day, PEFYA will face the Powhatan all-star team at 5:30 p.m. at Concord Elementary School.

As softball players reach the older end of the Debs age group, which is comprised of 16- to 19-year-olds, it can be harder to keep them involved as jobs and other interests intervene.

But PEFYA Debs Manager David Schmidt said his players “have decided they’re going to go into this thing wholeheartedly. (It’s) the last time they can play together, and they’re going to go and have fun. They’ve come up with all kinds of different ideas, plays that they want to try to execute, and we’re going to try to see what we can make happen.”

He noted that this will be the last year of eligibility for perennial PEFYA Debs All-Stars Mary Grace Amos, Shauneice Beasley, Brooke Landis and Sierra Wharam.

The expectations for the team are exactly what one would except for a three-time defending state champion.

“I know we have three or four teams that look like they’re going to be some competition, but expectation-wise, I think we’re shooting for that championship game,” Schmidt said. “… We’re going into this with six pitchers, and I think we’re good to go, and I think we’ll be there at the end.”

The six pitchers include Beasley, Wharam, Hannah-Gray Schmidt, Gracie Hodges, Abbie Schmidt and SaRoya Walton.

Speaking of Beasley as a contributor in the circle, Manager Schmidt said, “She’s going to be one of the main ones, but like the first game, we’re going at it strategically, and any team we play, if we don’t see where we have to use our best pitchers, then we won’t. But the way it’s set up with us having six pitchers, the way we’ve figured it up, everybody can pitch two innings or three innings of every game, and we’ll be good through the whole tournament.”

Schmidt said he knows the Buckingham, Clarksville and Amelia all-star teams are going to be good, and he expects a significant challenge from Powhatan.

“Last year they were really good,” he said.

Powhatan was the only team to deal PEFYA a loss last year at the state level, and it came via a 20-8 final score.

The PEFYA Debs had to play 12 games earlier this year, and they faced Powhatan, but Schmidt indicated the contest did not end up giving him much insight into what they have on their roster now.

“We went and played them a week and a half ago, and they were sandbagging on us, so I do not know what they have this year,” he said. “I know they did not throw their best pitcher against us, and we didn’t against them, so I honestly don’t know what they have this year.”

Concord Elementary School, the setting for the state tournament, is located at 9339 Village Highway in Concord.