By Adam Roy
Falls Church Little League
“Go out and win this game for every FCKLL player that came before you.”
Those were the pre-game words from Assistant Coach Jon Labukas. And that’s exactly what the Falls Church Kiwanis Little League Majors All Stars “White” Team did. They defeated the McLean American All Stars in front of more than 200 faithful fans at Westgate field to win the Virginia Little League District 4 Majors Championship, an accomplishment only repeated four times previously in 1958, 1960, 2005 and 2006. The win sends the team to the state tournament, which begins July 17 at Patriot Park North in Fairfax where they will compete against 15 other district winners for the chance to head to Georgia for the Little League World Series Southeast Regional.
After six weeks of practices and scrimmages, the Majors team opened play against a tough Reston squad, falling 2-1 in extra innings. They bounced back with an extra-inning 6-5 win against Alexandria on two home runs, strong pitching, and error-free defense. They completed pool play with a solid 5-0 win against McLean National, earning the boys a spot in the district crossover and a date with arch-rival Vienna National at Nike field in Great Falls.
Historically a tough opponent with a long history of district championships, Vienna opened the game in a hurry with a first-inning five-run start. Falls Church stayed locked in and battled, putting four on the board in the second, tying the game in the third, and walking off the game with a 6-5 victory in the seventh inning on a timely single to center.
Two days later, the district championship game started similarly, with McLean American taking an early 2-0 lead. Determined to fight, Falls Church tied the game in the bottom of the first, then broke it open with a base-clearing triple in the second. The bats stayed hot and after five innings Falls Church held an 8-3 lead heading into the last inning. McLean singled to open the inning, then a strikeout and ground out put Falls Church one out away from a ticket to the state tournament. But McLean wasn’t done, scoring on a double and loading the bases on a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. Tensions ran high. With the tying run at second and two outs, the game ended on a groundout and celebrations were heard across the little city.
“We’re extremely proud of these boys. Beating Vienna, then McLean, is no small feat. I invite all FCKLL alumni and the Falls Church community to the state tournament and wish our team success,” said Whitney Owen, FCKLL Board President.
The championship roster includes Spencer Allan, Colin Dailey, Evan Iweagwu, Gavin Kuczkowski, James Labukas, Jay McKeown Jr., Andrew Quinn, Hunter Roy, William Southworth, Thomas Stewart, William Talbert, and Timmy Verasin. The team is coached by Alex Kuczkowski and assistant coaches Brad Allan, Jon Labukas, and Chris Talbert.
In related All Stars news, Falls Church’s “Red” Team, made up of the league’s best 8-, 9-, and 10-year-olds, completed pool play with a 3-2 record. The league’s “Blue” Team, a roster of 10- and 11-year-olds, finished pool play with a 4-1 record, unfortunately missing district crossovers on run differential rules. FCKLL also fielded a first-ever intermediate 13 and under “Grey” Team for graduated Little Leaguers. They completed pool play with a 2-2 record, helping notch another successful spring season for the league.
As Virginia’s oldest operating league, FCKLL’s 78th season this spring welcomed more than 575 players across 49 teams competing at different age and skill levels. Registration for the fall season is open. Learn more at: www.fckll.org.
In reflection, the district championship is an incredible accomplishment and a memory many will hold close for years to come, especially for those 12 boys who get up every day, play the timeless game, and continue to believe. Even more, it represents the broader value Little League baseball brings to communities like Falls Church.
Beyond the wins and losses, youth baseball teaches kids teamwork, discipline, and perseverance, while creating friendships and memories that often last well beyond childhood. That was apparent last Friday night. You only needed to scan the stands to see the outpouring of support from current and former players, and board members and FCKLL families who have and will continue to show up and create a special space where young athletes can become legends.
Join in keeping the dream alive this Friday at 9 a.m. at Patriot Park North when they open state tournament pool play against Bedford Little League, District 2 champs.
Rosters of FCKLL Little League Grey, Blue, and Red Teams:
Intermediate All Stars Grey Team
Liam Arias
Trace Beaty
Jude Blanchard
Evan Campbell
Harry Keel
Nolan Klein
Gabriel Madrid
Cristopher Vasquez
Caleb Reyes
Hunter Seymour
Preston Tilson
Paul Thiede
Manager Ed Blanchard
Assistant Coaches:
Fred Keel
Mike Thiede
Will Beaty
Lauren Hoeck
10- and 11-Year-Old All Stars Blue Team
Max Adler
Will Berthiaume
Michael Christian
William Jenkins
Luke Lopez
CJ Mullin
Tommy Ollinger
Andrew Owen
Faris Sarsour
Michael Sawyer
William Strong
John Sutton
Manager Alex Strong
Assistant Coaches:
Steve Adler
Sean Mullin
Jay Owen
Mike Sawyer
8-, 9-, and 10-Year-Old All Stars Red Team
Brooks Baker
Cormack Beaty
Sean Campbell
Sam Dagan
Jacob Edmonds
Austin Iweagwu
Nicholas Keefer
Lleyton LaBeau
Landon Moore
Remy Neveu
Thomas Pumroy
Ryan Santos
Manager Lauren Hoeck
Assistant Coaches:
Matt Baker
Bill LaBeau
Andre Neveu
Nelson Santos
