Five rows back in Section 10 of Penn Medicine Park, one of the Lancaster-Lebanon League\u2019s greatest baseball coaches watched history unfold.<\/p>\n
It was a celebration. Not just for Northern Lebanon, which won its first District 3 Class 4A championship Monday. For a family that has long been associated with a rival school.<\/p>\n
Lyle Krall built his Hall of Fame resume at Elco. Travis Thome, Krall\u2019s grandson, has built an unexpected power 15 miles away in Fredericksburg.<\/p>\n
Baseball is part of life for both of them. It fills their springs and summers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Elco baseball legend Lyle Krall gives a thumbs up after Northern Lebanon beats East Pennsboro 7-1 to win the District 3 class 4A baseball championship game at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster on Monday May 25, 2026. Lyle’s grandson Travis Thome is the head coach of the Vikings.<\/p>\n
CHRIS KNIGHT | Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m with him on every play,\u201d Krall said. \u201cThen after the game, we might talk things over a little bit. Generally, he\u2019s the boss. He\u2019s done a good job with the kids. They really listen to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thome could tell pretty early that his grandfather was a big deal on the diamonds in Lebanon County. When Thome was a high school freshman, Elco\u2019s field was named in Krall\u2019s honor. That was a big indicator.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not a coincidence that Thome followed this path. He spent a lifetime in the company of a great baseball mind. It may have taken a while to fully appreciate the resource.<\/p>\n
\u201cI probably was not as cooperative as everybody would think,\u201d Thome said. \u201cBut I soaked more in from him over the last couple of years. As you get older, you realize how much knowledge there is.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Thome was named Northern Lebanon\u2019s coach in December of 2022, he invited Krall to join the staff. Krall, who\u2019s often seen wearing one of his Elco caps, politely declined.<\/p>\n
This project, turning the Vikings into a contender, was up to Thome.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re doing this on your own,\u201d his grandfather told him.<\/p>\n
What followed is the greatest chapter at Northern Lebanon in at least 40 years. The Vikings have qualified for districts four times and will be making their second appearance in the PIAA tournament next week.<\/p>\n
This has been Northern Lebanon\u2019s dream season. It went undefeated until the L-L semifinals and swept through three district playoff games. The crowning moment, a 7-1 victory over four-time defending champion East Pennsboro, was a long time coming.<\/p>\n
Northern Lebanon had to rebound from back-to-back painful losses in the district quarterfinals. The seniors had to convince themselves they could reach this stage.<\/p>\n
Thome was a pitcher and infielder at Elco. Krall was an assistant coach for the Raiders at that point.<\/p>\n
The two had their own playoff run once upon a time. It ended with Elco losing to Donegal in the district final in 2007. Krall and the Raiders returned to claim the title in 2021. All of those results were going through his mind as he sat in the bleachers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a tear or two,\u201d said Krall, who won more than 400 games at Elco before retiring as head coach in 1996. \u201cBecause I know exactly how it feels. I know how it feels to lose, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were things to talk about after the championship game. A failed bunt. A poorly executed double steal. The kinds of details coaches obsess over. Those were small flaws to an otherwise brilliant picture.<\/p>\n
Mostly, this was about Northern Lebanon having the right collection of players to finally climb the mountain. Ace Adrian Gonzalez, shortstop Andrew Via, catcher Connor Stoltz, third baseman Owen Fahringer and many others.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a four-year process,\u201d Thome said. \u201cIt\u2019s been in the works. We were finally able to get over the hump.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thome and Krall will work together this summer with Richland in the United Baseball League. Thome will coach. Krall will be the general manager. The roster will be filled with Elco and Northern Lebanon players.<\/p>\n
It\u2019ll be the next step in their shared experience. Another chance for a grandfather and grandson to connect through a grand game. Krall is 93 and still going strong. He\u2019s helping in different ways.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gets your mind right,\u201d Thome said. \u201cHow blessed I am to have him as a grandfather. This is just as big for him as it is for everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letters on their caps have changed. The E has been replaced by an NL. The success on the field has stayed the same.<\/p>\n