Ray Brewer
Run Falls Short
The Paseo Verde Little League team's bid for the state's first-ever World Series berth falls short. Watch players and coaches react to the heart-breaking loss.
Jim Kelly couldn't help thinking about what could have been.
The Paseo Verde Little League team he managed was on the run of a lifetime this summer. The group, who fell one game short of becoming the first Nevada team to reach the Little League World Series, could have been the ones playing on ESPN the past two weeks.
Instead, it was the Hawaii team Paseo Verde lost to 4-3 in the Western Regional finals that enjoyed the national spotlight. Hawaii topped Mexico to win the series Aug. 24.
I contacted Kelly minutes after Hawaii's championship game ended, guessing he had watched the game. I was right.
"I'm proud of (Hawaii)," Kelly said. "They had destiny on their side. It was meant to be. They played great and everything went their way."
Hawaii only lost one game during its run to the title, falling 4-1 to Paseo Verde during pool play of the regionals. Unfortunately, the local team's victory was one game too early.
While Hawaii thrived at the series, life returned back to normal for local squad. That includes getting back on the diamond as the players practiced last weekend for the first time since the regionals.
A majority of the children play for the Nevada Wildcats, a club team Kelly also coaches. It is preparing for a mid-September tournament, one Kelly considers one of the biggest of the year.
Nothing, however, will top the enormity and exposure associated with nearly reaching the series. The final game was played on ESPN2 as the boys spent two weeks in the spotlight.
The mini-celebrity status continued when they returned home. Gov. Jim Gibbons had a reception for them in downtown Las Vegas and the children were acknowledged on the first day of classes at Bob Miller Middle School Aug. 25.
Kelly, a math teacher at Miller, hung newspaper clippings and photos in his classroom to document the summer. It was a summer that should've continued, but sometimes the best teams don't win.
"Hawaii beat us fair and square, but we were right there with them," Kelly said.
OVERTIME: The high school football season starts Aug. 29 throughout Southern Nevada and the Home News has you covered. Inside today's paper is our annual football insert, a comprehensive preview of each school in the Las Vegas Valley. It's a good read and includes predictions on which teams will win the league, regional and state titles. Here's a quick preview of my prediction — don't be surprised if Bishop Gorman fights for the state title again this fall. The Gaels are loaded with athletes you've never heard of.
Home News sports editor Ray Brewer can be reached at [email protected] or 990-2662.
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