The boys on the Haddonfield 11-and-under All-Star baseball team have traveled up and down Kings Highway for most of their young lives.
However, this journey was one these lads will never forget.
The Haddons packed themselves into several cars, with some of the players hanging out of the sunroofs, and got a police escort down the main artery through town for a parade on July 25, finishing at their beloved field to celebrate the program’s first-ever Little League state title.
“There were like rock stars,” Haddonfield manager Frank DeLano said. “They created memories for a lifetime and while they gave up most of their summer, I’m sure they would do it all over again in a minute.”
While Haddonfield Little League hangs red and black boards on the fence of its facility to honor past district and sectional champions, this group will be the first on the white board reserved for state champions.
The team members are Matt DeLano, Finn Hadden, Marco Rocco, Christian White, Paul Goldin, Julian Saft, PK Fay, Landon Tripician, Rhys William, Brayden Rutherford, Jack Crookshank and Alex Koplove. The coaching staff included manager Frank DeLano and coaches Joe Rocco, Brian White, Mike Koplove and Kevin Fay.
“It was really fun to be a part of,” the manager said. “To watch the families come together, the siblings come together and the town, too. These kids lived their best lives for a better part of a month.
“We’ve always said that life is about relationships and food. We made a lot of relationships and had a lot of food this summer.”
Haddonfield’s summer quest began with a three-game sweep in District 13, advancing with an 11-1 victory over Cherry Hill Atlantic in the championship.
In Section 4, the team knocked off Haddon Heights, 12-7, and Hammonton, 8-2, before defeating Harrison Township twice in the span of three days, 6-1 and 6-3, to advance to the state level in Wallington.
In the opening game, Haddonfield scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to force extra frames and accomplished the same feat in the ninth. After yielding two runs in the top of the tenth, Haddonfield scored three times in their half for the 7-6 win. Rocco finished with three hits and three RBIs while White went 3-for-4 and DeLano chipped in two hits and two runs scored.
Following a 3-2 win over Morristown, Haddonfield locked up the state crown with a 9-5 win over Toms River on July 21. Rocco had two hits and two RBIs while eight players scored at least one run, including DeLano, who had two.
Haddonfield made the trip to Beverley, Mass., for the regional tournament where it defeated Vermont, 4-1, before suffering a 10-2 loss to Maryland. It would be the team’s only loss of the summer.
The Haddons (12-1) won a 12-5 decision over Pennsylvania in their final game.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Haddonfield's Boys of Summer earn trip down Kings Hwy., celebrate state title
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