‘I felt like I was in heaven’: Santa Clara greets their conquering Little Leaguers

Written by Chris Reed
August 24, 2022

SANTA CLARA — Riding atop Santa Clara-Ivins fire trucks, the Snow Canyon Little League all-stars returned to their hallowed ground in Santa Clara Wednesday evening, triumphant after doing something no kids from Utah had ever done: Play in the Little League World Series. 

Snow Canyon all-star players and coaches arrive on a fire truck during the team’s welcome back at the Little League complex from the Little League World Series, Santa Clara, Utah, Aug. 24, 2022 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

After arriving around 5:30. p.m at St. George Regional Airport, where they were greeted by family and supporters, the team made its way to Snow Canyon High School, where they boarded the trucks for a short champions parade through town en route to a celebration at Snow Canyon Little League complex. 

The sirens of the engines could be heard throughout Santa Clara, announcing that the boys and girl were back in town. 

“I can see them,” one fan younger herself than the team for 10- to 12-year-olds yelled as the two fire engines with the members of the all-stars came down Little League Drive. Mother Nature gave her own cheer for the home team, as a faint rainbow appeared behind the approaching trucks. 

There were 250-300  people in the parking lot of the Little League complex to greet them, including the mayor and City Council, who delayed their meeting in order to take part in the celebration. 

As the players descended from atop the trucks with the help of firefighters, they were warmly greeted not by their parents but with celebratory hugs from friends their own age. The proud parents waited their turn.

For Cammi Randall, whose daughter Falynn played second base for the team that represented the Mountain region in the tournament in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the burden of being a parent was the emotions. 

“It’s been so unreal. This was a roller coaster ride,” said Randall, surrounded by family, friends and neighbors holding up “Falynn Fan Club” signs. “There were tense moments and then moments of joy.”

Young members of the “”Falynn Randall Fan Club” look on during the Snow Canyon all-stars’ welcome back at the Little League complex from the Little League World Series, Santa Clara, Utah, Aug. 24, 2022 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

Falynn Randall, who garnered attention from the national media for being the only girl in this year’s tournament, greeted her fan club like a pro, keeping an even keel. 

“I just play for myself and have fun,” she said.

Also just back from Williamsport were Cale and Tiffany Whitney, whose son Brex pitched and played first base for Snow Canyon in Pennsylvania. Standing with their 16-year-old daughter Elle holding signs like “We’re Bringing Back Brexy,” even being at the site of the tournament doesn’t mean they have had much time with their son. The team lived in a dorm where grown-ups weren’t allowed unless they were coaches or officials.    

“I’m excited to have my kid back after three weeks,” Tiffany Whitney said. “It’s going to be a little bit hard to get back to reality.”

While dad noted he’s a “grounded kid,” when big sister Elle was asked if her little brother will be boss, she pointed at herself. 

“He knows,” she said. 

(L-R) Elle, Tiffany and Cale Whitney welcome Snow Canyon Little League all-star Brex Whitney back from the Little League World Series at the Little League complex , Santa Clara, Utah, Aug. 24, 2022 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

One of the adults who was allowed to stay with the team was their coach, Kyle Hafen. He mentioned had made a little history himself when he was younger, scoring the first touchdown in Snow Canyon High School football history. 

But returning from Williamsport Wednesday, Hafen had trouble getting the words out with the weight of the perhaps bigger history his kids had made and what it meant for his community.

“It’s just overwhelming,” Hafen said. “I’ve just never been so proud to be associated with the people of Santa Clara and Utah.”

As for the players, baseball is full of cliches about fields of dreams and destiny. But for Snow Canyon Little Leaguer Cody Ruffell, it was still hard to come to grips that the experience he had just come back from was a real one.

“I felt like I was in heaven,” Ruffell said.

 

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Reed serves as a reporter for St. George News, where he has been honored with several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work, including first-place accolades. He started his journalism career as a sports reporter and editor in Southern California where he once compared shoe sizes with Shaquille O'Neal and exchanged mix tapes with members of the Los Angeles Kings. After growing up in the San Fernando Valley learning karate skills from Mr. Miyagi and spending a decade in Las Vegas mostly avoiding the casinos, he came to St. George for love and married his soulmate, a lifetime Southern Utah resident. He is the proud father of two boys, his youngest a champion against both autism and Type 1 diabetes.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGNews

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