A patient town has its state champs

ORAN, Mo. -- It was difficult for Mitch Wood, the long-time Oran baseball coach, to put into words the feeling accompanying the school's -- and his -- first state baseball championship.

But he tried anyway.

"Unbelievable is the biggest thing," said Wood after Wednesday's 8-4 victory over defending Class 1 state champion Santa Fe at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Mo. "We came back today, but those kids were unbelievable. They did a great job."

Wood and the Eagles had just returned from a long trip -- made longer by two rain delays that pushed Tuesday's scheduled championship game to Wednesday -- to an impromptu celebration at the Oran High School featuring hundreds of long-suffering Eagles fans that finally could celebrate a state championship.

"It's a culmination of years and years of struggles, of ups and downs," said Jill Siebert, a teacher at the school who attended the championship game, then hurried back to Oran to be a part of the "Welcome Home" celebration. She and her children -- Daley, 8, and Ryder, 4 -- each wore blue-and-while Oran final four T-shirts from 2012. "It was a very emotional victory."

The Eagles had come close in 2012, just as they did in 2011, '08, '06, '04, '03, '02, '99 and '98 under Wood. The coach -- and the city -- were hungry for that elusive state title.

"They've come in second so many times, but never first," said Ernest Glastetter, a life-long Oran resident who suffered through every one of the Eagles' near-misses. "It means that if you've got patience, to just stay with it. You can't give up. I hoped and prayed that they would get it this year."

They did. And the little town of Oran -- all 1,294 residents -- couldn't be prouder.

Brenda Cook, who has lived in Oran since the third grade, was checking groceries at Gelsheimer's Market on the town's main drag, while the championship game played on the radio in the background. She admitted to letting out a loud cheer when the Eagles' Seth Ressel struck out the final Santa Fe batter.

"I'm real excited for the community," Cook said. "It means a lot. I'm excited for Mitch, it's his last year, and the seniors especially."

Cook was one of the few city residents unable to make the trip to O'Fallon, but she wasn't the only one keeping tabs on the game. The sign outside the Oran Kwik Stop was quickly changed to read, "Congratulations Oran Eagles State Champs 8-4". And the sign outside the Alliance Bank was already flashing, "Great Job Oran Eagles, Our State Champs. We Are Proud of You!"

"It's a big deal," said Natalie Kelson who, along with husband Albert, owns and operates the Belly Up Bar and Grill. "They've been to state so many times and never won, so, yeah."

She said the bar usually fills up with fans after games, home or away, who talk about baseball well into the night.

"It'll probably get a little crazy in here tonight," she laughed.

The team was scheduled to arrive in Oran between 7:30 and 8 p.m., and townspeople began arriving in the high school parking lot well before 7 p.m. At 7:15, about 40 fans dotted the lot: four people, including Lori Direnberger of Lil' Rascals Day Care, were struggling against the wind to put up a banner reading, "WE MAY BE LITTLE BUT WE ARE SOME BIG ORAN EAGLES FANS!"

"I had a lot of them in my day care," Direnberger said of the Eagles ballplayers.

Rick Walter, sheriff of Scott County, has lived in or around Oran most of his life and knows what a state championship can mean to a small community.

"It means a lot," he said. "It's good for the school. It helps bring attention to the school, it boosts morale, it's good for everybody. It's exciting for the townspeople. A lot of them went up to see the games.

"I'm just really proud of these young men."

When the Eagles finally arrived in their school bus -- escorted by three squad cars, one fire engine and a slew of fans driving in the auto parade past the school grounds -- a loud cheer erupted from the people lining the street.

Including Brandy Emerson, a senior who just graduated from Oran High, and her friend, Courtney Todt, who just finished her freshman year.

"I feel happy," Emerson said. "It's good to come out and support them, and that they just won their first state title."

"Excited, happy, proud," bubbled Todt.

After a celebratory ride through the town, the team bus returned to the school, and the players gathered in front of the school, holding their first-place trophy high in the air as the cheering crowd encircled the team.

"This is the best thing that's ever happened to me in my lifetime," said senior Alex Heuring as the fans lined up to shake hands or exchange hugs with each and every player. "I'm just so excited. It's great for coach, but it's even better for the town. ... Nobody wants it more than Oran."

"Amazing," said junior Chance Tankhoff. "It's something that we always wanted to do, and it's amazing that we're the first team to bring the first-place trophy back to Oran High School.

Senior Kody Moore, the winning pitcher in the title game who also had a pair of hits, scored twice and drove in two runs, celebrated by holding the trophy out of the side window as the bus travelled past the cheering fans.

"This is the greatest thing that I've ever seen around this town," Moore said. "The whole community, the whole town, everybody loves baseball, and just to win the championship and bring it back here, it's the most unbelievable feeling in the world. ... It's the greatest feeling I've ever felt in my life."

Previous teams may have been more talented, better hitters, or had better records. But the 2013 Eagles are the only ones Oran can call state champions.

"We might not be the best team to make it from Oran, but we are the first team to ever win it. And that's something special that nobody will ever be able to take away from us."