HARLEM, Ga. (WJBF) – “Small town USA don’t give me nothing else but make sure it’s Harlem” said Harlem High School head baseball coach Jimmy Lewis.

Bringing home the state championship after more than 30 years, Harlem High School baseball team was greeted by fans, family, and friends coming from Rome on Saturday.

“To go up there and win it, to come home and have this great crowd waiting on us to celebrate with us…it’s just an unreal feeling. Just fantastic. Haven’t felt that feeling in 37 years” said Coach Lewis.

Head coach Jimmy Lewis has had more than 800 career wins, he says the secret to his success are is great players.

“Great ball players make great coaches. Bad ball players make fired coaches. So I haven’t been fired in 47 years, so that tells you I’ve had some great baseball players” said Lewis.

Lewis says winning this championship wasn’t easy but he’s happy to have the support from the City of Harlem.

And his advice to all his student athletes?

“We teach our players to win as winners and lose as winners and if you can do that and play the game with class, you’ve been successful” said Lewis.