The boys are back in town, and they’re tired.

After a full day of traveling, including a direct 11-hour flight from Newark, N.J., the Honolulu Little Leaguers came home with the World Series crown. They received a special welcome at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, where they were met by family, former World Series champs, the mayor, the lieutenant governor, and even the small brass ensemble of the Royal Hawaiian Band.

Stepping off the escalator into the baggage claim area, the boys appeared dazed by the crowd of television reporters with cameras and dozens of airport staff members holding up their phones. Camera shy, the 12-year-olds quickly schlepped their bags and backpacks, some of which were almost as big as they were, outside. They had to run the gantlet of Hawaiian Airlines staff placing another lei around their necks. An ear-splitting “Chee hoo!” rang out. The Royal Hawaiian Band broke into Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” Family members pressed against the metal corral fence, clutching the Monday edition of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser with the headline, “WORLD CHAMPS.”

The Little Leaguers coalesced amorphously in front of the band. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi stood off to the side, shaking hands with members of the crowd. The boys lined up to talk with six Kamehameha Schools students who were 2018 Little League World Series champions and stood about a head taller. They got into formation for a picture. The cameras went up, the shakas came out.

Kamehameha Schools head Taran Chun let out a “Chee hoo!” Four Kamehameha boys were on this year’s championship team, and the school has seen 21 alums get drafted into Major League Baseball, according to campus athletic director Rob Hesia. Sixteen-year-old Jace Souza, a junior at Kamehameha and 2018 Little League world champion, said that when he came home, after the celebrations, the time comes to “go back on the grind.” He recently committed to Texas Tech University, where he will play baseball.

The Royal Hawaiian Band began playing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Team member Luke Hiromoto, a 12-year-old infielder and outfielder from Mililani, said it “feels great” to have won. The pressure on the field was “very immense.” He was confident his team would do well against Curacao, but, he said, “I didn’t think we were gonna run-rule them.” The Honolulu team beat Curacao 13-3, a final score triggered by a mercy rule that ends a game if a team is up by 10 runs after the first four innings.

“I just wanted to win it for the team,” said Kama Angell, a 12-year-old from Kalihi Valley who batted in six runs, including the game- winner Sunday. “I just wanted to hit the ball hard and play.” What made the team so dominant, he said, was that “We all have each other’s backs. If you strike out or hit a home run, my teammates got my back.”

Amid the media hoopla, the elected officials made inroads. Lt. Gov. Josh Green approached the boys and handed them coin-sized pins emblazoned with the state seal. The boys glanced at their tokens, fiddled with them, and pocketed them. Did the boys know that man? “No,” said one fielder. His identity was explained. “Oh. Oh, yeah,” the boy responded.

“These kids are tired. They’ve been traveling all day,” said manager Gerald Oda. The secret to their success, Oda said, was their confidence. “Let them be kids,” he said. “This is the last time they’re playing as 12-year-olds.”

Jaron Lancaster, one of the team’s ace pitchers, credited their success to focus. “When you focus, the crowd gets tuned out,” he said. The taste of success is only the beginning for Lancaster. “I want to do baseball for the rest of my career,” he said, hinting at the majors. While Lancaster was grateful for the support from Hawaii, he felt something greater at work. “I think the nation had our backs,” he said.

Blangiardi hopes to organize a downtown parade for Sept. 8, he said. He wants to let some schools out and hopes adults can take off work. He wants to make it “bigger and better than any time before,” he said, a rallying of spirits as Honolulu comes out of the pandemic, a restoration of pride.