Coach-versation - Zimmerman, Porter talk E-M
In 2018, the Elkmckean (E-M) Allstars – "The Boys of Summer," captivated the area with an extraordinary run to the Junior Little League World Series in Taylor, Michigan.
Casey Zimmerman was the head coach, and Mike Porter was an assistant with the team that, the following year, won the Senior League state championship and advanced to the Eastern Regional in Bangor, Maine. Unfortunately, in 2020, with many players still ageeligible, the team was denied a second shot at a Senior Series run when International Little League canceled the season due to COVID-19.
I recently had the privilege of reliving tales from those runs with Zimmerman, an assistant, and Porter, the head coach of the co-op Rams high school team, which, too, had its share of success during the three-year stint.
The tales told during the bull session can fill a book, but here are a few memories from the 2018 run.
The start Zimmerman, a Ram during his high school days who teaches at Kane, and Porter, a Smethport grad from Hazelhurst, met in 2013 while their sons wrestled after Porter moved to be closer to his job at Domtar Paper.
The two hit it off immediately and when baseball came up, the bond was formed.
In 2017, Zimmerman coached the Johnsonburg-kane Major League team that advanced to the state tournament. Porter worked with the Junior team that lost a tough District 10 tournament championship to Dubois.
Before the 2018 allstars were selected, the coaches divided the group into two travel teams - Diamond Elite.
"We made the decision to split the team. We pretty much knew we wouldn't be really successful at the tournaments, but it was the only way we would get everybody enough reps to see where we needed to be," Porter said.
Zimmerman was happy with what he saw.
"The boys were exposed to good ball, everybody's playing, and we're kind of one team practicing together, but we're not yet on the field with that one elite group."
Once the commitment was outlined, the tryouts were held in Kane, and the team was formed.
All-stars included Zimmerman's sons Aiden and Luke, Porter's son Collin, assistant coach Jason Barner's son Curt, and assistant Scott Ely's son Luke, Cameron Marciniak, Harley Morris, Ethan Wells, Domenic Allegretto,
Kaden Dennis, Jefferson Freeburg, Caden Smiley, and Joe Tettis. Russ Transue was also on the coaching staff. Districts
After beating Dubois 13-3, a 7-6 loss in St. Marys lit the flame in the locals, who rattled off a 19-4 win over Punxsutawney to advance out of the loser's bracket with the task of beating St. Marys twice.
"We're not making excuses, but that was a very hostile environment over there during that loss. But, it was the biggest blessing you could ask for," said Zimmerman. "After that game, we talked about everything that happened and what we needed to do to turn it around and not happen again. The kids could see it, and honest to goodness, every close game after that, because of that, we started performing our best."
After beating St. Marys 9-1, the teams met in Johnsonburg on Friday, Jul. 13, when a ticket was punched to the Section 1 tournament with a 10-1 victory. Sectionals
On a mission, E-M earned a trip to the state tourney with a 14-0 win over Fort Leboeuf, a 12-2 victory over Tri Boro, and a 6-1 victory over Titusville, the loser's bracket survivor.
"We really didn't think we'd roll through that like we did," Porter said. "We thought we'd get pushed a little bit, but we really didn't." States
In Stoneboro, the coaches knew the competition would be a cut above what they faced at sectionals.
"We got there, and Casey was like, we're going to run into all good teams," said Porter. "The one thing we always did was never allow the kids to believe they were in trouble. The coaching staff never gave off that aura. The only thing we ever told them was to just play their game."
After opening with a 14-3 win over Upper Moreland, the team received a forfeit when their opponent Sayre left the tourney due to
travel team players going to a tournament. A 6-4 winners' bracket final victory over Abington followed.
After Abington won the loser's bracket earlier on a Sunday, they needed two wins over E-M to earn a trip to the East Regional.
Down 4-3 with one out in the sixth, Aiden Zimmerman and Marciniak started an eightrun inning with backto-back home runs, and the team cruised to victory and a trip to New Jersey.
"To have an experience like this, you need so many things to come together. Everyone has to buy in, and we had that, "Zimmerman said. Regionals
E-M followed a 4-0 opening victory over the host Freeport before a 19-11 win over Maryland, which came back from being down by nine to make it 1211 before the bats fired back up for the locals.
A bunt produced the winning run in the team's 6-5 eight-inning win over New Jersey in the winner's bracket final, setting up a rematch with Delaware.
Down 2-1 in the seventh, substitution rules allowed E-M to pick the player who would take the field for Delaware, which had exhausted its options.
"I asked Russ who the last kid to bat was, and that was the kid we picked, and they put him right field. So (Kaden) Dennis starts the inning, and the kid drops a fly ball opening the way," said Porter, who passed a kidney stone just before the game (a story for another day).
Later in the inning, after Dennis had been thrown out at the plate on an Aiden Zimmerman hit, Collin Porter reached on a bunt base hit. Smiley entered to run for Porter before the next batter, Marciniak, walked to load the bases. Zimmerman then scored, and with Smiley at third, Morris laid down a perfect suicide squeeze for the win.
"It was amazing because I'm coaching at third, and Harley actually gave me the sign for the bunt because we practiced it so many
times, and it's how we played," said Coach Zimmerman.
Porter took over the play-by-play.
"When Smiley broke for home, it was a flat suicide; if Harley doesn't get the bunt down, he's dead at the plate. He laid it down towards the left side of the pitcher, and he just fell flat on his face in total helplessness." Cue the celebration. "We had a lot of fans make it over for that, and when that run scored, all we could hear was a huge eruption and utter chaos," Porter said.
"We win the game, and people are breaking down and crying," added Zimmerman. "The kids are flipping out, and they almost killed me dumping the cold water on me, which is a feeling I'll never forget."
During the entire run, WDDH-THE Hound announcer, the legendary Barry Morgan, who passed away in 2022, was there for every mile of the ride.
"Once we realized we're going to the World Series, we're heading up to the press box about 40 minutes after the game, and we see Barry sitting in a golf cart all by himself back behind home plate with tears running down his face. We turn the corner, and he starts crying again. I'll never forget that look on his face and how much we meant to him and how much he meant to us."
"He was invested in those kids as much as anybody involved. Anywhere we went, we knew he would be there. Barry allowed everybody to take the ride with us, and we'll be forever grateful," Porter said.
Off to the Series Little League had arranged for the team to fly to Michigan the same day after winning the East, but the Elkmckean team needed to make other arrangements.
The two coaches appreciated Little League's work to arrange a charter bus to take the team to Michigan so they could better prepare for the trip.
The night before the team headed to the Series
on Aug. 11, a meetand-greet was held at the Johnsonburg Fire Hall.
"When the kids went in, they might as well have been Major Leaguers," said Porter. "People wanted their autographs; people were coming up to us to donate, and the support from the community was unbelievable, leaving us all in awe."
The experience at the fire hall touched Zimmerman deeply.
"After that, it's almost like I had an epiphany. I was sitting there thinking all these things were happening and coming together for a reason. Seeing all these communities come together was something I had never seen and thought possible. Everybody was on the same team, and it was overwhelming. I started thinking that God has a bigger plan here than baseball.
"I tell the kids everything happens for a reason all the time. Seeing everybody coming together made me understand all the times we were tested and what it took for everything to come together. It was life-changing and taught me so much. It dawned on me that there was something bigger than us. And it's how I now live my life." World Series While they finished the "official" part of the tourney 1-2, E-M was closer than some may think to playing for the Global Championship.
A sprinkler head was the difference in California's (West) 2-1 opening-game victory. Tied 1-1 in the 9th (extra innings), California scored a run with two outs and a man on third when a routine ground ball to Dennis (no errors all season) at second struck a sprinkler head, bouncing the ball out of reach bringing in the winning run.
"That's a game where you know it could have gone either way," said Porter. "Looking back on it, when you're in that moment, you're thinking we want to win every game you're playing, but at this point, you're matched with equal talent and equal coaching – everybody's at the same level."
Instead of playing the host, which hadn't played for an extended time after last playing in their district tournament, E-M was forced to the USA loser's bracket. Instead, California went on to beat Taylor 8-0.
E-M rallied with a 7-6 win over the Southeast (Georgia), which the two coaches remembered most for the back-and-forth cheering from the moms on both sides.
"It was fun, but they were getting very fired up," Zimmerman said.
While they would play exhibition games against Italy and Aruba after the loss, E-M was eliminated from the tourney by the Central team (Chicago) 5-3 in their next game.
"That was a unique moment in the dugout," Porter said. "The whole group had realized we played "Every Game Matters" for three straight months, and we had to get up and not have a game that mattered the next day. It was a tough dugout message because, I believe, we had a team that could have won. We were right there. A ball bounces one way, and the results are probably different."
After a loss to Italy, the team finished play with a tie against Aruba, who held their own against Taiwan (Series champs) before the Asians walked off with a win.
Zimmerman reflected.
"After we lost our second game and before we played the crossover games, I was sitting in my room, and it was like the World stopped. The whole experience and how special it was, hit me. You don't have time to think about it when it's happening. It's boom, boom, and on to the next game. You don't have time to think about anything but baseball. I was staring at my E-M hat, and all these emotions came over me, and I realized I'm one blessed son of a gun to have had this opportunity to be with these people. We were one of 2,576 Little League teams to get there. Like I said, it changed my life. The outlook that I take to the classroom, and everything has changed since that time period."