Council Rock Newtown ‘personified what Philly is all about’ on its journey to the Little League World Series

When Council Rock Newtown made the Little League state tournament two years ago, it placed third. The boys were only 10, and their chance at the Little League World Series was still two years away.

The Bucks County team finished second in the state a year ago, an improvement but still short of the goal. But this season, with a trip to South Williamsport, Pa., on the line?

“It’s like lightning in a bottle,” manager Brad Hamilton said.

On Friday, Council Rock Newtown made that dream come true, dominating the competition in the Mid-Atlantic Region to secure its place in the Little League World Series.

Riding an 18-game winning streak, Hamilton’s team will compete in the 10-team American bracket, starting against the Southwest Region champion from Boerne, Texas, on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN). The tournament began Wednesday.

» READ MORE: Meet the players on Council Rock Newtown's Little League World Series team

After disappointing losses the previous two seasons, Hamilton wanted to keep the team on message. With one of the best squads in Pennsylvania, every opponent was looking for the opportunity to take it down, and the manager made sure the boys knew that. Council Rock Newtown needed to play every game like it was trying to do the same thing.

“We came back to it the next practice and said, ‘You know what? We’re not going to be hunted. We’re going to do the hunting,’” Hamilton said. “That’s been a theme of ours: We’re not going to let teams hunt us, and I think they really took to that as 12-year-olds. They liked that vibe. It kept them focused, aggressive, and looking to progress each time.”

But Hamilton also kept the focus on the ultimate goal, making the Little League World Series. He and the Council Rock Newtown coaching staff introduced the idea to the boys early, believing that if they started saying it out loud, it would help the squad visualize it and make it come true.

“We have team huddles after practice, and I’d say, ‘Say Little League World Series!’ Because I’m a believer, you put it out there,” Hamilton said. “If you don’t put it out there, no one knows, but if you put it out there and you start talking about it, it becomes normal. Every once in a while after practice, I’d be like, ‘Say Little League World Series,’ because that was the end goal.”

» READ MORE: Council Rock Newtown is heading to the Little League World Series. Here’s what to know and how to watch.

That strategy worked: Council Rock Newtown holds the longest Little League winning streak in the nation heading into the tournament.

Since the team clinched a berth in the Little League World Series, Hamilton said it has gotten more recognition from the community outside of Newtown. He and the squad have received congratulations from Bucks County, Philadelphia, and South Jersey.

The team is coached by Hamilton and assistant coaches Doug Peiffer and Kyle Neeld, and includes (in alphabetical order): Gavin Caudill, Rocco DaBronzo, Wes Esteves, Brody Gage, Greyson Gage, Dean Hamilton, Saverio Longo, Tyler Neeld, Brayden Peiffer, Nick Schiller, Will Siveter, Ryan Uhl, and Tyler Wexler.

The resilience of the group, which rallied after two disappointing state tournament losses to keep fighting for the ultimate goal, makes it a “classic Philadelphia story,” Hamilton said.

“It sounds silly, but you think Rocky, getting beat up, and all the clichés around that,” Hamilton said. “We finished third, second, and then first. If that isn’t Philly at its finest, core of just keep getting up and keep grinding … I think people around the Philadelphia area, in the five-county area, would get that. I feel like the boys have personified what Philly is all about, and I think that’s just an awesome thing, because you don’t always have a team that matches where they come from. I think this team does.”