When Council Rock Newtown reached the Little League state tournament two years ago, it finished third. The boys were only 10 years old and their shot at the Little League World Series was still two years away.

The Bucks County team finished second in the state last year, an improvement but not quite there. But this season, with a trip to South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on the line?

“It’s like lightning in a bottle,” said manager Brad Hamilton.

On Friday, Council Rock Newtown made that dream come true by dominating the competition in the Mid-Atlantic region and securing its spot in the Little League World Series.

Hamilton’s team has won 18 games in a row and will now compete in the American championship with ten teams. On Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN) they will face the champion of the Southwest Region from Boerne, Texas. The tournament began on Wednesday.

” READ MORE: Meet the players of Council Rock Newtown’s Little League World Series team

After the disappointing losses of the last two seasons, Hamilton wanted to keep the team on track. With one of the best teams in Pennsylvania, every opponent was looking for an opportunity to beat them and the manager made sure the guys knew that. Council Rock Newtown had to play every game as if they were trying to accomplish the same thing.

“We came back to it at the next practice and said, ‘You know what? We’re not going to let the teams chase us. We’re going to do the chasing,'” Hamilton said. “That was a motto of ours: We’re not going to let the teams chase us, and I think they really understood that as 12-year-olds. They liked that vibe. It kept them focused, aggressive and trying to make progress every time.”

But Hamilton also kept his eye on the ultimate goal: the Little League World Series. He and the coaching staff at Council Rock Newtown introduced the idea to the boys early on, believing that if they started saying it out loud, it would help the team visualize it and make it a reality.

“After practice, we meet with the teams and I’ll say, ‘Say Little League World Series!’ Because I’m a big believer in getting it out there,” Hamilton said. “If you don’t get it out there, nobody knows, but if you get it out there and talk about it, it becomes normal. Every now and then after practice, I’ll say, ‘Say Little League World Series,’ because that was the end goal.”

” READ MORE: Council Rock Newtown is competing in the Little League World Series. Here’s everything you need to know and how to watch.

This strategy worked: Council Rock Newtown had the longest winning streak in Little League in the country before the tournament.

Since securing a spot in the Little League World Series, Hamilton said the team has received more community recognition outside of Newtown. He and the team have received congratulations from Bucks County, Philadelphia and South Jersey.

The team is coached by Hamilton and assistant coaches Doug Peiffer and Kyle Neeld and includes (in alphabetical order): Gavin Caudill, Rocco DaBronzo, Wes Esteves, Brody Gage, Greyson Gage, Dean Hamilton, Saverio Longo, Tyler Neeld, Brayden Peiffer, Nick Schiller, Will Siveter, Ryan Uhl and Tyler Wexler.

The resilience of the group, which rallied after two disappointing state tournament losses to continue fighting for the ultimate goal, makes it a “classic Philadelphia story,” Hamilton said.

“It sounds silly, but you think Rockygetting beat up and all the cliches that come with that,” Hamilton said. “We finished third, second and then first. If that’s not Philly at its best, the essence of just getting back up and continuing to fight … I think people in the Philadelphia area, in the five-county area, would understand that. I feel like the guys embodied what Philly is all about and I think that’s just great because you don’t always have a team that fits where you come from. I think this team does that.”