SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Since beginning their run towards a Little League World Series championship, the saying for the 13 boys from Red Land Little League has been, "Why not us?" Three words, plastered on hashtags, the backs of t-shirts, and cardboard signs seen all throughout South Williamsport, endless tweets, and national television.
Why not us? Despite losing 18-11 to Tokyo, Japan in a home-run derby of a final, it was clear that 13 boys from York County accomplished more than anyone possibly could have imagined: They united a community, a region, and rallied an entire state behind them.
"We could not be any more proud of our boys," Mason Hutchinson of York Haven said after the game. "They showed grace. They showed humility. They showed strength."
"We're doing this for 11, 12, and 13 year olds. It's ridiculous!" said Jared Walters, a Red Land senior. He, along with dozens of high school friends in the "Red Sea" student section, made multiple 200 mile drives to South Williamsport to see a group of 7th and 8th graders who, by the end of the tournament, had become full-blown celebrities.
"His leg kick is amazing!" Snelbaker fawned, and Elliott followed by saying, "How did we not know these guys were so...cute?!?"
Home runs weren't the only things crushing at Lamade Stadium on Sunday.
Red Land's support went beyond a few obsessing fans. Parents brought their families to South Williamsport throughout the week. Many of them to get an up-close look at the team which captured the heart of the Central Pennsylvania region. Others who just wanted to say thanks for bringing an entire community together.
"They're making everyone excited to be part of this small town," Lowell Parascandola of Lewisberry said. "A lot of people didn't understand where we're from. Now they do."