State College Little League welcomed home in style after winning the state championship
The State College Little League 11U All-Star team returned from winning the state championship on Friday and was welcomed home with a parade back to Montressor Field.
State College’s players were welcomed by the Alpha Fire Company and Ferguson and Patton Township police departments at the Home Depot in Patton Township. They were then escorted down Valley Vista and finished off their parade at Montressor Field. It was the first time in 20 years that State College took home a Pennsylvania state championship.
Manager Brian Prenatt was excited for the occasion, understanding that his team overcame a great deal to get to the point of winning a state title. He felt that they deserved the recognition and celebration — and that they did, with pizza, sodas and other concessions.
“This is just an awesome experience and it’s great for the kids,” Prenatt said. “They worked so hard to get here. These kids put a lot of time into this and were singularly focused on this event to get here. So, I’m very, very proud of them. It’s just hundreds of thousands of hours to get to this point. The kids worked hard and every single one of them worked hard for a single purpose. It’s pretty awesome, it’s a great experience and I’m very happy for them.”
After becoming the District 6 and Section 4 champions, State College embarked upon a weeklong journey in the state tournament, starting last Saturday. They defeated Whitemarsh on Saturday, followed by a victory over East Side on Sunday, then another win against Back Mountain on Tuesday and had another game against East Side on Thursday, clinching the title with a second victory over East Side on Friday.
Prenatt credited each of his assistant coaches, who he felt brought much-needed enthusiasm and support to the team. Todd Kulka, Gio Vendemia and Kirk Einfalt all felt the camaraderie between the players, coaches, parents and others who supported the team throughout their season.
For Kulka, it was about the memories.
“I think it’s been a great season for our kids and we made a lot of great memories for our group,” Kulka said. “We’ll remember this night and this day for the rest of our lives.”
Vendemia loved the team’s dogged perseverance.
“These guys made a goal at the beginning of the season,” Vendemia said. “They worked hard, came together as a team and they ended up winning a state championship. It’s something that hasn’t been done in State College for 20 years, so I’m super proud of these guys.”
Einfalt appreciated the team’s ability to come together as a bunch of friends who grew together as a family.
“They’re a tremendous group of kids, they work really hard, they get along really well together and they’re fabulous to coach Einfalt said. “I can’t say enough about the guys on the team — their effort, their character. It’s really, really enjoyable.”
Then, there were the parents.
They are known as the “backbone of the program,” who provide unconditional love and support for the players. At the forefront of the parade were the parents, driving down the street, beeping horns, waving to the children from the fields and taking video at every chance they could get of their boys’ accomplishment.
One of those parents is David Williams, father of state champion Noah Williams, who was in attendance for the team’s ceremony. As an assistant for State College’s high school varsity baseball program, he believes that when the players gel together in Little League baseball, it will bring them together for the future. Whether that future is in high school baseball or just in life, Williams believes that the experience will create a bond that they’ll never forget.
“In any sport, all of the credit goes out to these youth coaches, the youth officers, because really through the youth program and dedication and commitment that they give to our young players in all sports, without it I don’t think we would even have the quality of program that we have in high school,” Williams said. “So, it really starts with getting these youth programs going and getting them on the right path.”
This story was originally published July 30, 2021 at 11:38 PM.
