Even though the District 14 All-Stars did not win the state championship Tuesday in Elkhart, the 14-and-under Little Leaguers rode back into Warsaw on a fire truck with a police and ambulance escort.

The all-stars went 8-2 and earned the runner-up spot in the state competition to record the best finish for any Warsaw little league team in history. Representatives from Warsaw welcomed them home at Central Park.

"On behalf of the city of Warsaw, I would like to congratulate you and thank you for being good ambassadors for our city," said Mayor Ernie Wiggins. "We are very proud of what you have done."

"It's nice to see kids active in positive things," said Warsaw baseball coach Will Shepherd. "Everyone at the high school is proud of your effort and I thank you for allowing me to be a part of this."

But how did the team get this far?

"Well, we watch the kids play during the season, and then about two-thirds of the way through the season, we have tryouts for the all-stars," said District 14 All-Star manager Dru Himes. "We watch their offense and defense. At that point, we've seen them play against 15- and 16-year-olds all year. Then we need to see what they can do against other 14-year-olds."

After the 14-member all-star team is selected, the players practice together for a few weeks then begin playing against other teams from across the district, which extends from Edwardsburg, Mich., to Warsaw.

The team got a bye at the sub-sectional and went straight to the double-elimination state competition, where they went undefeated until the final two games of the tournament. The team lost to the St. Joe team from Fort Wayne twice Tuesday to end their exciting run at the state level.

"Yes, we lost the last two games, and the guys were pretty upset," said Himes. "But later at a pool party, you couldn't tell they'd just lost. They were out in the water having fun and being kids. We are very proud of them."

"In fact, we are proud of all our teams this year," said Randy Spaulding. "We have never had this much success with this many teams in one year."

The 16-and-under all-stars and the big league all-stars won their district competition, while the 9- and 10-year-old division all-stars were district runners-up.

"Parents are a big part of our success," said Himes. "Without them getting the kids to practices and games, nothing happens."

Those parents have helped their players move into the Warsaw Little League record books. As the first team to earn state runner-up honors, the District 14 squad has set a standard for future teams.

"Guys like you give inspiration for younger kids to keep playing," said Trudi Williams, Little League board member. "Thank you for setting a good example for younger players to look up to."

"This team has represented Warsaw like we have never been represented before," said Rusty Downhour, president of Warsaw Little League. "Thank you very much for a great run." [[In-content Ad]]