Lake Mary faces tough road to Little League Championship after 4-1 loss to Texas
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Lake Mary’s quest for the Little League World Series title became more challenging Monday night after a 4-1 loss to Texas. The team now faces elimination but remains determined to continue their journey.
Lake Mary isn't the first team from Central Florida to compete on this grand stage. In 2001, the Apopka All-Stars made it to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, ultimately winning the United States Championship before falling to Japan in the world title game.
Now, the Lake Mary All-Stars are following in Apopka's footsteps, hoping to bring home the championship trophy. We spoke with a former player from that Apopka team who understands the high stakes of the tournament.
Justin LaFavers, a member of the 2001 Apopka team, reflected on the valuable lessons the Lake Mary players are sure to learn during their time in Williamsport.
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"They’re going to learn how to handle pressure," LaFavers said. "They’re going to learn to fight through those things, fight through distractions."
Lake Mary is the fourth team from Central Florida to reach the Little League World Series and the first since 2005. Despite their struggle on the mound Monday night, which resulted in the 4-1 loss, the team still has much to look forward to.
"For me, just being out there with all the kids I grew up with, the amount of work, blood, sweat, and tears that we put in, practicing every single day," LaFavers said. "To get to go out there and experience that, play on national television, to have people cheering you on. The whole thing was pretty remarkable."
Lake Mary now faces a must-win situation as they prepare to take on Metro tomorrow at 7 p.m. The team will need to win four consecutive games to reach the championship.