In the hierarchy of Little Leagues in the youth baseball hot-bed of Staten Island, Great Kills isn’t a powerhouse. South Shore Little League sent a team to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., just two years ago and Mid-Island was there in 2006.
Great Kills is knocking on the door of immortality now, though.
After a wild, 6-5 comeback win over Fayetteville-Manlius on Monday, the 11- and 12-year-olds from Great Kills American were crowned New York State champions for the first time in the Little League’s 59-year history.
Frank Cambria, the team’s manager and the president of the organization, said Great Kills wasn’t one of the top favorites to win this year – on Staten Island alone. Mid-Island, Snug Harbor and South Shore were all thought to have better squads.
“It feels great, because Great Kills has never made it, so it’s like we’re the best team,” ace James Greig said.
He’ll be on the mound 5 p.m. Friday at the Mid-Atlantic regional in Bristol, Conn., when Great Kills takes on Conococheague (Md.). He would never had this opportunity had Carmine Bruno and Tom Bonviso, not considered aces, put forth solid pitching performances against Fayetteville-Manlius, allowing GKA to come back from a 5-1 deficit. In the sixth inning, Jerry Huntzinger drilled a two-run home run to make it 5-3 and later Noah Echavarria drove in Michael Briordy with a single for the go-ahead run.
Great Kills also came back from four runs down in a 13-12 win in the Section 5 championship game against Franklin Square on July 22. The kids from Staten Island beat Saratoga American, 9-8, in the state final four July 30 to set up the meeting with Fayetteville-Manlius.
South Shore National was a juggernaut in 2009, mowing down teams in impressive fashion en route to the Little League World Series. Great Kills American simply has the heart of a champion.
“We’re definitely a scrappy team,” Cambria said. “We fight for everything we get. These kids don’t give up.”
There has been a different hero in almost every game. Great Kills American is 10-0 in the postseason and after the team was written off back in June, Cambria said anything after its first-ever state championship is just gravy. But that doesn’t necessarily mean GKA is heading to Bristol without thinking a lot about Williamsport.
“That would be a dream come true to make it to the World Series,” Cambria said. “We’re still representing Great Kills Little League even though we’re now representing New York State.”