THEY KEPT
FIGHTING Rock Falls All Stars make the grade, win state
BY KIMBERLY WATLEY SPECIAL TO STERLING ROCK FALLS LIVING
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o make the grade on the Rock Falls All Stars Little League team, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication, said Traci Skibbe. Her son, Cayden Roberts, was one of the 14 handpicked 14ULittle League players whose team won this year’s state championship. Their run ended in an 8-5 loss against Midland, Mich,. in a Central Regional Quarterfinal at Fort Wayne, Ind. Roberts, along with Matt Anderson, Alex Cantu, Bronson Mintun, Logan Pillars and Clay Velazquez, won state and went to the Great Lakes Regional in 2011 as 11- and 12-year-olds. Since then, the boys have set aside jitters and reached a level of maturity that helped them be more successful, according to Bronson’s mom, Marcia Mintun. And the “respectful, but firm” coaching they received helped, she said. “Once they got down 2 years ago, they fell apart. This year, they kept fighting,” she said. “This year, they wanted to win the game. All of our coaches really are so good with those kids.” That group of boys will age out of the junior division into the senior level next year. Coaches Ronnie Pillars, Danny Matznick, Brian Ashley and James Velazquez led the boys – including Andy Ashley, Roger Carlson, John Kelly, Jake Lego, Quinton Matznick, Zak McKinzie, Tyler Meyers and Kyle Yonk – to the title. “What I really admire about those kids, no matter what happened during
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those games, even if it looked like their run was through, they would come back fighting and believe they could it win it,” Mintun said. Winning state was huge, Skibbe said. “Because when you travel through the state of Illinois and beat that many teams, that is something they deserve to be recognized for,” she said. “Each and every single one of us parents is so proud of each and every one of these boys.” s