Lafayette Little League wins NorCal state championship
LAFAYETTE, Calif. - The Lafayette Little League is coming off an incredible season after winning the Northern California State Tournament in the division for 11-year-old boys.
Players Grayson Reed, Wyatt Clayton, and Harry Williams have been playing baseball together, along with most of the other players on the team, since they were nine years old.
"We don't put each other down, we just pick each other up. We're just a special team," Clayton, who plays catcher, said.
His father, head Coach Jeff Clayton, said there has only been one other championship team from Lafayette in the little league's 60-year history.
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"It was pretty special," he said. "I was so happy for the kids. They wanted it so badly."
The journey to the top wasn’t easy. In districts, the team fought their way into the loser’s bracket to beat South Oakland. In the sectional tournament, they faced a tough team from the North Bay, Petaluma National Little League.
"We ended up losing to Petaluma National in the semi-finals and had to fight our way back up to win two games in the championship," Reed said.
"We had a nice walk off in sectionals that gave us momentum to win another game and move on to NorCal," Williams said.
Once they reached the NorCal tournament, the team won four straight games to clinch the title in July.
"There’s 124 little leagues in Northern California, and we were the last ones standing," Coach Clayton said.
He credits the parents for helping the team reach its level of success.
"They just love every kid," he said. "They want every kid to succeed. They’re not wishing someone makes an error, so their kid gets more time… everyone is so supportive, and it really is what makes a difference."
The team was one year shy of reaching the Little League World Series, which would pit them against teams from Southern California. It is the team's goal for next season and why they continue to practice in the fall through the end of October.
"I love baseball because it's a fun sport," Reed said. "You get to play with all your buddies and friends."
The three boys have the same goal: win another championship and, one day, go pro.
"My goal is to make it to the major leagues and do as best as I can to get there," Reed said.
"If I can do that, then I would just be really proud of myself," Clayton added. "I'm looking forward to making it to college first."
"I want to make it as far as I can," Williams said. "I want to try and get to the pros. That's every baseball player's dream."