Hughesville captured the program’s first district championship since 2013 nearly two weeks ago. Thursday at Pine Grove, the Spartans will compete in the Class AAA state quarterfinals against Saucon Valley, matching the program’s deepest playoff run.

Obviously, Hughesville would love to keep this running going and make history. But it’s biggest motivation goes beyond trophies and history.

These friends simply want to keep playing together.

“We just want to keep playing. Wins are great, but it’s just continuing to be together,” Hughesville coach Chris Kish said following Monday’s 3-1 state tournament victory against Riverside. “It’s more about us being together than it is about winning. We just want to play and win, so we can be with each other. That’s the biggest thing.”

Hughesville (20-3) features a special bond and that bond has been evident throughout the season. The core of this team has competed together since they began their baseball journeys in Little League. As a group these Spartans have improved each season, reaching the district semifinals two years ago, the championship last season and now winning that championship and reaching the state’s Elite 8.

Yes, this is a talented team, but how Hughesville has reached that point goes beyond what stats can measure.

“There’s nobody I’d rather play with than these guys. They’re like my brothers and they’re all in my family,” Eli Olshefskie said after going 2 for 3 with two RBIs against Riverside. “It means a lot to have such a great accomplishment with this group of guys.”

“It’s exciting,” Carter Cowburn said after earning the save and hitting an RBI double. “Coming here with the guys and performing at the highest level possible, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Hughesville has developed an excellent chemistry over the years. All that time working together has helped Hughesville play as one on the field and understand where every player will be and what they are thinking.

Beyond the on field aspect, Hughesville players understand how to push each other and help each other. If a player is feeling down teammates can bring him up and vice-versa. All those little things have helped produce some impressive wins.

“We know the tendencies of some guys to be able to help them out and let them know what they’re capable of,” Cowburn said. “It’s really good how well we match together.”

“I’ve played with these guys since I was 7-8 years old. We really know how each other work,” Olshefskie said. “We know how to help each other out, how to get out of bad spots; how to pick each other up.”

That has been obvious throughout the season as Hughesville repeatedly has rallied to win games. The Spartans have come from behind in all three playoff victories and scored the final three runs against Riverside after trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning. The bond the team shares convinces it that it can excel under any circumstance and so often this season, Hughesville has.

It’s never been the same one or two players either. Not just throughout the starting lineup, but throughout the entire roster, players have delivered big contributions. Pick a player and Kish can tell you something big that player has done to help Hughesville become one of the state’s top eight Class AAA teams. It was that way Monday when Logan Kiess made a huge defensive play, Jed Webb, Austin Gray and Cowburn combined on a one-hitter and Olshefskie twice produced RBI hits.

Other games it has been other players. But nearly every time this season, it has been someone coming through and that is a huge reason Hughesville has set a program record with 20 wins.

“It’s 1-9 and off the bench. I know that anyone in the lineup any day of the week can come up big for us,” Olshefskie said. “I really believe in every single one of the players.”

All these Spartans share a similar mentality as well. They play for each other, not for themselves. They rally around each other, support each other and are enjoying the team’s collective success as one unit.

They are friends, but they also are fighters. Above the wins and league and district championships, that is what Kish likes most about this team and about about this memorable ride.

“These guys are built by themselves. They’re built by the Ville,” Kish said. “Give us some guys that have genuine care for each other and grit and guts and we’re going to be OK. These guys embody that whole-heartedly.”