Mount Carmel seeks second-ever state playoff win | Sports

David Langton was moved nearly to tears when asked how it felt to lead Mount Carmel to a district baseball championship in his first year as coach at his alma mater.

“Good. Really good,” he said softly, forcing a smile as his eyes welled. “It’s special.”

kAmxE H2D?’E =@?8[ E9@F89[ 367@C6 {2?8E@? H2D 4@>A@D65 2?5 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 3:8 A:4EFC6] w6 C6A62E65 H92E 96 925 D2:5 7@==@H:?8 E96 #65 %@C?25@6D’ D6>:7:?2= H:? 52JD 62C=:6C — “~FC 8@2= :D?’E E@ 36 5:DEC:4E 492>A:@?] ~FC 8@2= 😀 E@ 36 E96 36DE H6 42? 36[ H96C6G6C E92E E2<6D FD]” — 3FE 96 H2D D@@? 5C2H? 324< E@ E96 D:8?:7:42?46 @7 E96 >@>6?E]k^Am

kAm}:?6E66? J62CD 28@ E@52J[ {2?8E@? 2EE6>AE65 E@ A:E49 |@F?E r2C>6= E@ ;FDE E96 D64@?5 5:DEC:4E 7:?2= 2AA62C2?46 😕 AC@8C2> 9:DE@CJ 2?5 :ED 7:CDE DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E 36CE9] %92E’D H92E H2D 2E DE2<6 H96? E96 #65 %@C?25@6D >6E |@?E@FCDG:==6 2E (:==:2>DA@CE’D {@8F6 u:6=5 E@ C6DF>6 2 82>6 E92E 925 366? 92=E65 2 52J 62C=:6C 3J 2 7:6C46 E9F?56CDE@C> 2E q@H>2? u:6=5]k^Am

kAm%92E a__e 82>6 H2D 7:CDE 56=2J65 >@C6 E92? “^a 9@FCD A2DE :ED D4965F=65 DE2CE E:>6 H9:=6 E96 @E96C D6>:7:?2= 7:?:D965 2?5 @77:4:2=D 4@?D:56C65 H96E96C E@ 492?46 E96 H62E96C] %96 H:==\E96J @C H@?’E\E96J DE2==:?8 5:5 ?6:E96C E62> 2?J 72G@CD[ 3FE A2CE:4F=2C=J {2?8E@? 2?5 E96 #65 %@C?25@6D[ H9@ EC2:=65 3J EH@ H96? E96 82>6 H2D 42==65 H:E9 EH@ @FED 😕 E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 7:CDE :??:?8 — `c >:?FE6D 27E6C E96 7:CDE A:E49]k^Am

kAm(96? A=2J C6DF>65 E96 7@==@H:?8 52J[ |@?E@FCDG:==6 D4@C65 2 =67E@G6C CF??6C 7C@> E9:C5 32D6 2?5 25565 2?@E96C CF? 7@C 2 c\_ =625] {2?8E@? E96? 7:C65 7:G6 D9FE@FE :??:?8D[ 3FE (2CC:@CD 246 #J2? |:==6C 4@F?E6C65 H:E9 D:I :??:?8D @7 @?6\CF? 32== 7@C E96 H:? 56DA:E6 36:?8 @FE\9:E 3J |@F?E r2C>6= f\d]k^Am

kAm%92E’D H96C6 {2?8E@?’D 3C:==:2?E 9:89 D49@@= 42C66C 6?565[ 2?5 E92E’D H92E :?DA:C65 9:D 4@>>6?ED E@ E96 E62> 27E6C %F6D52J’D 492>A:@?D9:A H:?]k^Am

kAm“x E@=5 E96>[ ‘r6=63C2E6 E@52J[ 3FE E9:D 😀 H92E H6 6IA64E65] (6’G6 8@E E@ <66A >@G:?8 7@CH2C5[ 3FE 46=63C2E6 :E 3642FD6 E9:D 5@6D?’E 92AA6? 6G6CJ 52J] s@?’E E2<6 :E 7@C 8C2?E65[’” {2?8E@? D2:5]k^Am

kAmxE H2D E96 #65 %@C?25@6D’ D64@?5 4@?D64FE:G6 5:DEC:4E E:E=6 27E6C 2 DEC:?8 @7 7:G6 4@?D64FE:G6 D6>:7:?2= =@DD6D 52E:?8 E@ a_`g] %96J :>AC@G65 E@ a\` 😕 5:DEC:4E 7:?2=D[ E96 =@DD 4@>:?8 😕 `hgb E@ 2 r6?EC2= r@=F>3:2 ;F886C?2FE 😕 E96 >:5DE @7 2 D6G6?\J62C C6:8?]k^Am

kAm“xE’D D@ DA64:2=[” D2:5 D6?:@C 7:CDE 32D6>2? r=2C<6 r2CEHC:89E] “tG6CJ D:?8=6 @?6 @7 FD AFED 😕 H@C<[ 2?5 H6 2== 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D H:?] *@F 4@>6 324< 2?5 5@ :E 282:?[ :E C62==J D9@HD 6G6CJ@?6] xE 8:G6D FD 2 ?2>6 😕 E96 =628F6 2?5 😕 E96 DE2E6[ E@@]”k^Am

kAmp J62C 28@[ |@F?E r2C>6= H@? :ED 7:CDE\6G6C DE2E6 A=2J@77 82>6[ 8@:?8 @? E96 C@25 E@ 362E s:DEC:4E a 492>A:@? |:5\’2==6J 367@C6 72==:?8 E@ %C:?:EJ 😕 E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D] %96 #65 %@C?25@6D W`f\cX @A6? r=2DD bp DE2E6 A=2J 282:? |@?52J 282:?DE sF?>@C6 W`h\bX[ 2?@E96C s:DEC:4E a H:??6C[ 2E r6?EC2= r@=F>3:2’D t?8=6 |6>@C:2= u:6=5 Wcib_ A]>]X]k^Am

kAm|@F?E r2C>6= 😀 4@>:?8 @77 2 DF446DD7F= 5:DEC:4E CF? 😕 H9:49 :E DH6AE E9C66 @AA@?6?ED 3J 2 4@>3:?65 D4@C6 @7 “\b] %96 DAC66 H:== =@?8 36 C6>6>36C65 7@C D6?:@C C:89E\92?56C sC6H *28@5K:?D<:6[ H9@ E9C6H 2 A6C764E 82>6 282:?DE %C@J 😕 E96 D6>:7:?2=D 2?5 2 ?@\9:EE6C 282:?DE wF896DG:==6 😕 E96 7:?2=]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< :E’D 8C62E E96 724E E92E sC6H H2D 23=6 E@ 8@ @FE E96C6 2?5 A6C7@C> @? E96 3:886DE DE286 2E 2C8F23=J E96 36DE 96’D 366? E96 =2DE EH@ 82>6D 😕 2== 9:D 42C66C[ C62==J[” D2:5 D6?:@C 42E496C qC2J56? qC:?<2D9] “x E9:?< :E’D 2=D@ D:8?:7:42?E E92E[ ?@E @?=J 5:5 H6 8@ 324<\E@\324<[ 3FE H6 H6?E 324<\E@\324< H:E9 2 H9@=6 5:776C6?E 4@249:?8 DE277] (6 ;FDE ECFDE @FC 4@2496D[ 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 H@C

kAm*28@5K:?D<:6 :>AC@G65 E@ d\` H:E9 2 `]ab t#p 2?5 fc DEC:<6@FED 😕 cd a^b :??:?8D] {F<2D r2CA6?E6C[ 2 ;F?:@C C:89EJ[ 92D 2=D@ A:E4965 H6== E9:D D62D@?[ 8@:?8 d\_ H:E9 2 `]d_ t#p] %96 #65 %@C?25@6D 92G6 EH@ DEC@?8 @AE:@?D 😕 E96 3F==A6?[ D6?:@C }@29 $9:><@ Wb D2G6DX 2?5 y246 $E6G6C W`]fd t#pX]k^Am

kAm{2?8E@? G@:465 D@>6 4@?46C? 23@FE 2? @776?D6 E92E 92D AC@5F465 EH@ @C 76H6C CF?D 😕 E9C66 @7 E96 =2DE 7:G6 82>6D[ :?4=F5:?8 @?6 😕 2 C68F=2C\D62D@? =@DD E@ $@FE96C? r@=F>3:2 2?5 @?6 😕 E96 5:DEC:4E 7:?2=] w6 @HD 7C@> 6IA6C:6?46 9@H 2? 246 A:E496C H9@ 5@6D?’E ?665 E@?D @7 DFAA@CE 42? 27764E 2 E62>’D :?E6?D:EJ 2E E96 A=2E6]k^Am

kAm“!2CE @7 E92E 😀 J@F’C6 2=H2JD 86EE:?8 E96 36DE E62>D W:? E96 A@DED62D@?X[ D@ :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 =@H6C D4@C:?8[” 96 D2:5] “qFE H6 92G6?’E 366? @FC 36DE @776?D:G6=J E96 =2DE EH@ H666D @G6C E92E DA2? 2?5 96’D 2E 2E =62DE aa a^b D4@C6=6DD W:??:?8D 😕 2 C@HX]”k^Am

kAmy@? |@C82?E6[ 2 D6?:@C D9@CEDE@A[ =625D E96 #65 %@C?25@6D 😕 32EE:?8 2E ]ccg[ H:E9 r2CA6?E6C W]cb`X 2?5 76==@H ;F?:@C qC@5J qC:?<2D9 W]bfdX ?6IE 😕 =:?6] {2?8E@? 4@?D:56CD qC@5J qC:?<2D9 2?@E96C =625@77 9:EE6C 😕 E96 ?:?6\9@=6[ 2?5 96 AC@5F465 E96 E:E=6 82>6’D =@?6 CF? H:E9 2 7:7E9\:??:?8 D24C:7:46 7=J] w6 2=D@ 56=:G6C65 2 A2:C @7 #qxD 😕 E96 D6>:7:?2= H:?[ 7@F=:?8 @77 2 EH@\DEC:<6 A:E49 H9:=6 H@C<:?8 2 32D6D\=@2565 H2=< 62C=J 2?5 E96? A=2E:?8 2 =2E6 CF? H:E9 2 8C@F?5@FE]k^Am

kAm“w6’D ;FDE 2 8FJ E92E >2<6D H:??:?8 A=2JD[” D2:5 {2?8E@?] “w6’D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 8@ FA E96C6 2?5 E9:?< 23@FE 9:>D6=7] x7 H6 ?665 2 8C@F?5 32==[ 96’D 8@:?8 E@ 9:E 2 8C@F?5 32==] %@52J[ H6 ?66565 2 7=J 32== 2?5 96 9:E 2 7=J 32==] w6 >2<6D E96 A=2JD E92E >2<6 E96 5:776C6?46 E:>6 2?5 282:?]”k^Am

kAm*28@5K:?D<:6 =625D E96 #65 %@C?25@6D H:E9 a_ #qxD[ ;FDE 29625 @7 7C6D9>2? y2D@? z=@<:D W`hX 2?5 |@C82?E6 W`gX] r2CA6?E6C E@AD E96 E62> H:E9 aa CF?D D4@C65]k^Am

kAmsF?>@C6 D6E 2 AC@8C2> C64@C5 @7 `h H:?D H:E9 2 EC:@ @7 ]c__ 9:EE6CDi D6?:@C q@33J w@32? W]c`hX[ D@A9@>@C6 tG2? |:K6?<@ W]c`aX 2?5 ;F?:@C |2D@? $E6ED W]c_hX] |2I u@C8:@?6[ 2 D6?:@C[ :D?’E 72C 369:?5 2E ]bhc] w@32? Wag #qxDX[ |:K6?<@ WafX 2?5 u@C8:@?6 WadX 2C6 E96 qF4\9:89 bb E:>6D]k^Am

kAmy2>:6 |4|J??6 We\_[ `]bh t#pX[ 2 ;F?:@C[ 9625D 2 A:E49:?8 DE277 E92E 92D EH@ @E96C 7:G6\82>6 H:??6CD 😕 $E6ED Wd\_[ `]c_X 2?5 u@C8:@?6 Wd\a[ `]chX]k^Am

kAm|@?52J’D H:??6C A=2JD 6:E96C s:DEC:4E `a H:??6C 2?5 5676?5:?8 DE2E6 492>A:@? }6F>2??\v@C6EE: W`_\`_\`X @C s:DEC:4E b CF??6C\FA q6C>F5:2? $AC:?8D W`h\aX 😕 E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D %9FCD52J]k^Am

kAm“r@>:?8 :?E@ E96 A=2J@77D[ H6 2== 925 4@?7:56?46 2?5[ 2D 2 E62>[ H6 6H H92E H6 ?66565 E@ 5@ 😕 @C56C E@ 86E E@ E9:D A@:?E[” D2:5 qC2J56? qC:?<2D9] “tG6CJ 52J H6 D9@H FA E@ AC24E:46 H:E9 E96 C:89E 2EE:EF56j H6’C6 H@C<:?8 92C5 😕 E96 H6:89E C@@> 2?5 @? E96 7:6=5j 2?5 x E9:?< E9:D H66< :E 2=D@ 96=A65 FD 4@>6 E@86E96C 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6]”k^Am