The din rivaled a rock concert, with students stomping their feet, screaming and jumping on top of cafeteria tables and benches to shriek out three names: "Sheyne ... Ethan ... Cory."

The three boys attempted nonchalance as they lounged on chairs on the stage at Highlands Intermediate in Pearl City. But really, with more than 1,000 students cheering your name, waving banners, playing 'ukuleles and dancing, it's not an easy task.

The schoolmates were celebrating Sheyne Baniaga and Ethan Javier, teammates on the West O'ahu Little League World Series championship team, and Cory Quiamzon, a member of the O'ahu All-Stars team that won the Cal Ripken World Series title on Aug. 21.

It was a raucous sight, one of a handful such scenes that played out at schools around the island yesterday as players and their families were honored upon the Little Leaguers' return to class.

All 12 West O'ahu players had been on the Mainland competing and missed the start of the school year. They returned to O'ahu from South Williamsport, Pa., Monday night.

"We're going to show them honor, respect and appreciation by raising the roof," bellowed Highlands physical education teacher teacher Russell Ogata.

Students spoke of the pride the team brought their schools, and the state.

"We feel good," said student Tuulau Lolohea. "Now the little kids have something to look up to."

"It made me more confident," said Jacqueline Puckett, also 13 and in eighth-grade. "Now that they worked so hard for the World Series, it makes me want to work harder on my grades."

At Mid-Pacific Institute in Manoa Valley, more than 150 students and teachers crowded the entrance at 7:15 a.m., waving signs and shouting as Harrison Kam arrived at school driven by his mom.

Meanwhile, at Waipahu Intermediate, Quentin Guevara and Zachary Rosete were driven to classes in a golf cart and greeted by schoolmates waving banners and posters.

Mid-Pac also is having an honors assembly today and Ilima Intermediate is planning a later celebration for Vonn Fe'ao and Zachary Ranit. Pitcher Alaka'i Aglipay is home-schooled.

At Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Pearl City, schoolmates draped Myron "Kini" Enos Jr. with dozens of candy and flower lei, thrusting balloons and swim tubes into his hands. At Damien Memorial School, a rousing assembly with the school band playing and purple-and-gold, spray-painted banners greeted Michael Memea, whose game-winning home run in the seventh inning clinched Hawai'i's 7-6 win Sunday over Curacao for the title.

"I never expected all of this," said Memea of the assembly that also honored Ripken team members Bryson Namba, Derek Shoda and Issac Ventura. "I'm real surprised about everybody being here."

Damien eighth-grader Nick Sakamoto, 12, said Memea's feats provided Damien — a Kalihi school with about 530 students — needed recognition.

"He did very good up there hitting all those home runs," said Sakamoto. "Now plenty of people know Damien is a good school."

Seventh-grader Bradley Kim, 12, collected two of Memea's autographs on a newspaper photo.

"I'm going to frame it and put it inside my room," he said.

In Mililani, nearly 700 kids packed the student activity center at Hanalani Schools to welcome back eighth-grader Ty Tirpak.

"Everybody was very excited just to have somebody from our school be an ambassador to the world," said Principal William Hopper.

During the assembly, Ty's teacher, Joanna Chai, read a poem Ty had written back in November about winning the series: "We hope not to lose ... so look for us on the 10 o'clock news."

As the Tirpak family was introduced, students in the bleachers began stomping and Ty stood quietly, waiting nervously, hands in pockets. But when his name was called, the gym was a riot of screaming and clapping. The boy walked to the center, hands still dug in his pockets.

"It was really awesome to get out there and win," he told his schoolmates. "We practiced for two years straight for this."

At tiny Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in 'Ewa Beach, all 215 students jammed the church next door and fidgeted through an hourlong Mass before getting a chance to shyly give Layson "Kaeo" Aliviado hand-made cards, flower lei, and pecks on the cheek.

With a gilded painting of the Madonna flanked by a 6-foot banner and wild bouquets of colorful balloons — one saying "Wow" — students made a long snaking line to give their congratulations to Aliviado and his father, team manager Layton Aliviado, his mother Debbie, and sister, Lacie, 20.

"We're so excited," said parent Reina Angelo, whose kindergarten-age daughter spent the night before making posters. "It's good to see all the kids in the community striving."

The center of all this attention — 12-year-old Layson — was as calm and unflustered as he was on the baseball field where he's a first baseman and pitcher. Layson said the team stayed focused but "didn't worry" about winning. "The coaches said, 'Play hard and don't give up. It's out there for you guys if you want it.' "

Staff writers Catherine Toth and Brandon Masuoka contributed to this report.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.