Lufkin, T — Back-to-back champions.
Lufkin's "Fierce 14" earned the title of U.S. Champions just one year after bringing home the same title as the "Thundering 13".
The city of Lufkin and the Parks and Rec department honored the boys efforts on Wednesday evening after their loss on Sunday.
The Southwest USA baseball team (Fierce 14) lost to Chinese Taipei 2-0 in the final game of the Junior League World Series in Taylor, MI.
Before that happened, the Lufkin team defeated the Manhattan Beach, California team, earning the title of U.S. Champions before the championship game.
Six of the boys on the team were on last year's Little League team that reached the World Series final.
"I wanted to win it all," Kolby Kovar explained at the ceremony. Something his team wanted as well.
Team manager, Oralio Flores explains, "you never saw a boy get his head down."
State Representative, Trent Ashby also spoke at the ceremony. Explaining how the team has brought the community together, and what they've done for Lufkin.
"What these 13 young men and these coaches have done really over the past two years. They have put Lufkin and the state of Texas on the map as the best absolute place to play world series baseball in America," Ashby said.
During the ceremony coaches and other officials spoke about the team, including baseball legend Bud Maddox.
"Everywhere we went, it didn't matter where, everybody talked about what a great bunch of guys they are. Not on the field, but off the field. How they conducted themselves, how great it was to be around them, It's amazing how you can get guys like this to come together and conduct themselves as they have," he said.
Rallying their town together for the second year in a row.
"You cannot imagine how contagious winning is in a city. You just change attitudes and you guys have changed attitudes two years in a row," Mayor Bob Brown said.
For the boys… it's their passion.
"I can't think of something better to do than spend my summer playing with some great baseball players," Kovar said.
It's also something that brings families closer.
"My brother, my grandpa started to teach me baseball and I've loved it ever since then," team pitcher, Mark Requena said.
And it's a pastime they hope to keep doing for a very long time.
"Try to make it to the MLB, it's my goal in life," Kovar said.