RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Texas fans react during a Little League World Series game against Connecticut this year. Players from Richmond, Texas made their town proud by reaching the Series.

As Irmo, South Carolina and Las Vegas, Nevada played for the second U.S. Championship berth Thursday night at Lamade Stadium, seven American teams either watched from here or after just reaching home.

Either way, they all have some amazing stories they can tell.

Each made their mark on their leagues’ histories, making remarkable summer-long runs and reaching the Little League World Series. The results these teams produced at the Series will fade as the years go by but the memories never will because they all lived every Little Leaguer’s ultimate dream.

The following is a look at the seven American teams who had been eliminated at the Series entering last night’s contest.

Richmond, Texas

The Southwest champions became the third team from Lamar Little League to reach the Series, enhancing the storied program’s tradition. Richmond rallied from a district loss against 2023 Southwest champion Needville and stormed to district, section, state and regional championships, avenging a loss against 2019 world champion Kenner, Louisiana to reach South Williamsport.

Shane Grawe threw a game in the Series opener, striking out 11 in five innings but Connecticut won a 1-0 thriller. Shortstop Lucas Sontag went 4 for 4 over his next four at-bats but Richmond lost two hard-fought games.

Not that its fans will care much about that. They already knew that Richmond won mighty big regardless.

“I am sure there will be a big congratulatory parade in their honor, a proclamation will be given to them by the Mayor and they will get lots of media attention,” Richmond mayor Becky Haas said. “They will most likely be the Grand Marshals, leading the parade for the Fort Bend County Fair in the fall. When they have to go back to school, I’m sure the celebration will continue on.”

As well it should. Richmond ended its league’s 21-year drought at the Series and earned rave reviews on and off the field. A journey which began four years ago led to where this team always believed it could go.

“When we got them together back then we knew it was a special group,” Richmond manager and Lamar Little League president Justin Pollard said. “We knew we could build something good and possibly go to Williamsport and they were just 8 then. The goal always has been to be the best, but more important is developing them into the best young men they can grow up to be and it’s a great group.”

Upper Uwchlan TWP., Pennsylvania

Before this summer, Glenmoore Eagle Little League had never won a state championship. This team crossed that goal off the list, then kept winning, bulldozing through the Mid-Atlantic Regional and entering the Series 17-0.

Only Massachusetts won more games entering the Series than Upper Uwchlan Township which outscored opponents, 131-16 on the road to South Williamsport. Once here, it lost two thrillers against South Dakota, 2-0 and Illinois, 3-2. Still, that did little to diminish the team’s achievements.

“I want them to remember everything they’ve done from the day they were 8 until now,” Glenmoore Eagle Little League president Brian Podvia said. “They were not only undefeated on the baseball field (entering the Series) but they made friends forever. They made names for themselves on the fields they have played at for so long. They’re growing into young men as we speak. This year goes a long way toward them maturing and becoming men.”

Glenmoore Eagle Little League frequently fields around 300-350 players across all levels each summer. It is a small league but it stood tall throughout the Little League World. The offense was potent in those first 17 games and both the pitching and defense remained strong at the Series.

One or two plays here or there and the outcomes might have been different in those two Series contests. Regardless, the story Upper Uwchlan Township is the greatest ever told back home.

“My hat goes off to (manager) Mike (Shaw) and his team,” Illinois manager Brian Herold said. “They’re awesome competitors and good ball players.”

Braintree,

Massachusetts

Like Glenmoore Eagle, Braintree American Little League shattered the glass ceiling in the Boston suburbs. Braintree won an American-best 18 games on the way to South Williamsport, winning the first state and regional championships in league history.

Braintree kept making history with every win after regionals and won its second Series game, erasing a 2-0 deficit and defeating Texas, 7-3. Braintree made a big mark with that victory, becoming the first Massachusetts team to win at the Series since 2009.

“This is the team they’ve always been,” manager Frank Fasoli said afterward. This is the game I wanted the world to see. This is these guys.”

Braintree dropped a heartbreaker against Washington in its final Series game but already had long ago made its mark this summer. Fasoli said before the Series that just making it here was the team’s championship. Indeed, Braintree achieved something only 19 other teams around the world did.

Braintree proved resilient as well as excellent, winning a 1-0 state final, a 3-2 extra-inning thriller for the New England championship and then rallying past Texas. Certainly, this is a group which always will be remembered throughout its community.

“They fought back and took that moment to fight back and pulled through,” Fasoli said following the Texas win. “I’ve said this time and time again since they were younger. I’m just glad the world got to see it.”

Clarendon Hills,

Illinois

It sounds like a broken record at this point, but the Great Lakes champions are the third consecutive team on this list which took its league far beyond its previous best season. Clarendon Hills also won its first state title before capturing the Great Lakes championship and winning a Series game, 3-2 against Pennsylvania.

All this for a two which features just a little more than 9,000 residents. The obstacles were many, including multiple costly injuries, but this team kept hurdling them and made sure its small town stood tall.

“I think when they see the excitement of the town and how they were engaged in the journey, it will hit home a little more,” Clarendon Hills manager Brian Herold said. “They touched a lot of people and created a tremendous amount of spirit.”

Clarendon Hills lost its ace pitcher early in the summer and played without two more standouts at states. Still, this resilient, hard-nosed team kept winning, often playing its best when pushed the hardest. That included in districts when it emphatically avenged a loss against Naperville and won the championship rematch, 8-2.

It was more of the same at regionals. After dropping a game to undefeated Ohio, the Great Lakes champions stormed back and won the championship, 9-4. At its core, this team was a group of fighters.

“The fact that we won states and regionals is a testament to these guys stepping up,” Herold said. “We have to thank our fans back home. We got a lot of support. It means a lot. I think the boys will be excited to see their friends.”

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu added to its league’s storied tradition, reaching the Series for the fourth time since 2018. While the West champions did not not reach another championship, they certainly achieved greatness, entering the Series undefeated and capturing difficult state and region championship, beating some of the country’s premier teams there.

“They have that never give up spirit. Me and my brother (Keith) and Coach Willis were joking that if we win states than that’s great. We went to the regional tournament against some tough competition and I’m just amazed at these kids how they did it,” Honolulu manager Gerald Oda said. “Just making it out of our state and out of regionals and to Williamsport is a great accomplishment.”

Honolulu lost hard-fought games to Connecticut and South Carolina but erupted against Illinois, collecting 15 hits and winning, 9-1. This also was a team which repeatedly never cracked in tough situations. That included in regionals where it won two one-run games despite getting out-hit.

Honolulu did not capture another world title, but it again wowed its community and showed the world how great this league is. And for that, Oda will always be grateful.

“I keep telling the kids, there are thousands of kids that are home wishing just wanting to be here. We have this great opportunity with these 12 kids that we are here,” Oda said. “I’m super happy and proud of what they accomplished. They accomplished more than me and the coaches would have ever imagined.”

Bonney Lake,

Washington

Before 2022, Bonney Lake/Sumner Little League had never captured a state championship. Now it has two Northwest Regional title banners and this 2025 made history. It became both the league’s first and District 10’s first to win a game at the Series.

“It’s the first win our district has ever had at Williamsport; it’s the first win our league has had at Williamsport. That was a big goal of ours,” Washington coach Chris Heacox said. “That was a big goal of ours. They are living the dreams right now. Every day it feels like a new dream is coming true for these guys.”

Bonney Lake continued living that dream last Sunday when, on the same day the hometown Seattle Mariners watched it play, it defeated Massachusetts, 3-2. Bonney Lake stormed through a tough state field before battering three regional opponents and scoring 43 runs in three Northwest regional games.

That gave Bonney Lake a shot at history and it made it with that hard-fought Massachusetts win. Like it did throughout the summer, Bonney Lake fought from behind in that game, erasing a 2-1 deficit. It also did not allow a run over the final four innings and now stands as the league’s best team ever.

“There are so many things to do here and so many cool things happening,” Heacox said. “They’re having a blast.”

That likely will continue when this team returns home and is welcomed by so many fans who have enjoyed this memorable run.

Sioux Falls,

South Dakota

Sioux Falls equaled the greatest run by a South Dakota team ever at the Series, finishing fourth in the U.S. It speaks volumes about how great this league has been that Sioux Falls shares that honor with its 2021 squad.

The Midwest champions nearly made history, rather than sharing it, coming within two outs of reaching the Final 3. Sioux Falls blanked Pennsylvania, 2-0 in its opener and then thundered back a day after losing to Connecticut, beating Washington, 9-0.

It was just the third time since 2001 that a Midwest team finished among the country’s top four, as Sioux Falls made quite a mark.

“That’s our team. We lost to North Dakota in the semifinal game and then I thought we played the best game of baseball we ever played at regionals,” Sioux Falls manager Ryan Vavruska said. “This group is resilient.”

Sioux Falls proved that all summer, especially at regionals and the Series. Even in its final game, Sioux Falls highlighted its grit, never batting an eye after South Carolina tied the game, 1-1 with two outs and two strikes in the sixth inning. From there, the Midwest champions scored five runs and built a 6-1 advantage before South Carolina made its own stirring comeback.

Regardless, this was a team which carried the banner for one of the country’s premier leagues and did so in impressive fashion. The lineup was as dangerous at the bottom as it was at the top, the defense repeatedly made big plays and different pitchers continued coming up clutch.

Vavruska told his team in June he wanted it to create its own legacy in Sioux Falls Little League. Consider that, mission accomplished.

“The outpouring of support, not just from Sioux Falls, but of the state after we won in Indiana was great,” Vavruska said. “There are a lot of eyes on these kids and they’ve soaked this up very well. They play at a high level and it’s a great feeling at the end of the day.”