By Richard Torres
Click here to view an audio slideshow from the game.
INDIANAPOLIS — At 1:06 p.m., when the first pitch was tossed, opening Saturday’s much anticipated Class 2A Indiana High School Athletic Association State Finals game at Victory Field, a sea of red and blue roared with appreciation.
Every executed play, called strike, base hit or run scored by the Elwood Panthers met a similar result.
Two hours and 10 minutes later, even with their No. 9 Panthers on the losing end of a 14-8 final score against 2008 champion Fort Wayne Luers, the more than 1,500 Elwood residents in the stands once again rose to their feet and showed their gratitude.
It was their way of saying, “Thanks for the ride.” It was at the very most, the least they could do. For a moment, if not a brief second, a town of nearly 9,000 had rediscovered hope and inspiration from a baseball game and the determination of 16 teenage boys.
“This came at a very opportune time for our community,” said Elwood High School athletic direction Marty Wells, who was one of the many in the crowd cheering on his Panthers. “We’ve lost two factories, and it’s been tough, so I think this gave a great shot in the arm for morale.
“Obviously, the community got behind the kids, and unfortunately, we came up on the short end of the stick. But I think it’s going to be great for our community to build on. I think it happened at a great time. There’s a lot for those kids to be proud of.”
As has been the routine the past few weeks, the Panthers battled, mirroring their town’s blue-collar identity.
The team fell behind early in the top of the first inning 2-0, but tied the score in the bottom half. Trailing 4-2, Elwood once again cut the deficit.
Then when all seemed inevitable as the No. 2 Knights orchestrated a decisive sixth-run fifth inning to edge closer to history — the first school to capture a football, basketball and baseball state title in the same year — Elwood mustered one more push.
The Knights’ lead fell from 14-4 to 14-8. And the cheers returned.
“We got good ball players,” said Elwood coach Adrian Heim, a hometown product with red and blue in his veins. “They know how to win. They know how to play. You saw it today. They fight no matter what. A lot of teams would have quit a long time ago. We don’t quit.”
They never lost face either, even in defeat.
Setting the school record for wins in a single season, winning a second straight Central Indiana Conference championship while also combining with Fort Wayne Luers to set 12 new IHSAA State Finals records in a Class 2A game, Elwood’s fans stood proud.
And they let the team and senior Nate Wills, who was named the L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award winner at game’s end, hear it.
“It was definitely a great experience,” Elwood senior shortstop Darren Jones said. “I’ll never forget it.”
