Parade of champions

Published 6:00 am Friday, May 18, 2018

LOREAUVILLE — The 2018 prep baseball season came to an end last week but there was still one bit of business left to attend before school let out and thoughts turn to the 2018-19 school year.

Thursday evening the 2018 Class 2A state baseball champion Loreauville High Tigers were honored with a parade down Main Street that ended at Tiger Field with a pep rally to honor the team that won the school’s first baseball state championship Saturday with a 12-5 rally past Welsh.

“It’s a great feeling to see all these people out here supporting these young men,” LHS coach Rob Segura said at the pep rally. “These young men persevered when adversity hit and came through.

“I didn’t think that this would happen 10 years ago when I took over, I can’t lie about that.”

The parade started on Sydney Blanchard Road and the route passed down Main Street and turned at the school, went through the park behind the school and ended at Loreauville Elementary with the pep rally at Loreauville’s home stadium, where the team was introduced and celebrated by those attending.

The parade included the LHS band and floats with former baseball players, the softball team and cheerleaders and finally the state champion baseball team.

“You always hope that this will be the first of many but you always have to cherish it because you never know when you’re going to get back,” Segura said.

And he plans to enjoy the moment, if only for a little while.

“We’ll enjoy but then Monday it’s back to work preparing for next year’s team,” he said.