To be the best, you have to beat the best. And that's a challenge that Golden Gate American Little League is taking seriously. The 9-10-11 team is reaching new heights and making history, winning sectionals for the first time in 24 years, sending them to State.
"It was a wild ride," said Golden Gate American utility player Luke Castenir. "The team that we played, they won every year. We knew that we would have a challenge going into it."
"We played a good game," said first baseman Kaleb Chavez. "We had teamwork and we tried our best, we played our best."
And they were the best. GGA knocked off Sarasota American, the reigning Section 6 champs, in back-to-back intense games.
"Saturday was exciting," said utility player Mario Loret de Mola. "Brutal. It was very hot. And I think we played good."
"The team we played, every kid on it was bigger than every kid we had," said head coach Todd Bender. "So it was a little David versus Goliath type thing, and our kids battled through."
GGA has taken advantage of the underdog mentality. This team has gone 5-0 so far in the 2024 All-Star tournament, and they've outscored their opponents 39-5.
"I think we've proven a lot of people wrong," said Castenir. "You know who you are. We proved you wrong big time."
Last year's 10U All-Star squad fell short in the semi-finals, which was the fuel they needed to make a comeback this year.
"We made it to the finals," said outfielder Adryan Borrego. "Not one team thought we could beat them. We finally did."
So now they head to the All-Star State Tournament among the top eight teams in Florida, and they're ready to bring their A-game.
"[It will take] a lot of work, a lot of practice, and if we come out ready to play on Friday, we'll do good the whole rest of the week," said catcher Easton Bender.
First up, Golden Gate American takes on Lake Mary Little League on Friday night at 5:30 p.m. in Tampa.