With their eyes affixed to several television sets and decked out in powder blue gear at La Finca De Adobe restaurant in Bonita, you’d think these fans were rooting for the San Diego Chargers.
Instead, many of the more than 250 patrons wore their team colors with the word WEST etched across the chest in white stitching as they cheered on the Sweetwater Valley Little League team.
As of Thursday morning the boys from Bonita eliminated Bowling Green, Kentucky from the Little League World Series with an 11-3 score, putting Sweetwater Valley two-games away from the U.S. Championship.
Instead of watching the game from the comfort of his own home, Dave McDonald wanted to be with other Sweetwater Valley fans.
“You got to be with the community,” McDonald said. “You can watch any game at home but here is where all the fun is.”
The crowd grew rowdy with every Sweetwater Valley run, prompting an avid fan to lead chants of “SV-LL” inside the restaurant and for the bilingual crowd chants of “Aguga Dulce (Sweetwater)” even broke out. Fans waived homemade glittery signs that read “SV-LL” and another read “I believe that we will win!”
Not only is the Sweetwater Valley Little League team winning, but business for the Mexican eatery at 5202 Bonita Road is scoring new customers.
“There most definitely has been an increase in business,” said owner Miguel Ruiz. “A lot of locals have actually come through.”
Ruiz held the first viewing party at his restaurant last Friday, and said he didn’t expect hundreds of people to show up for both viewing parties. Twenty percent of all proceeds that La Finca earned at the viewing parties went to support Sweetwater Valley Little League.
On this particular day it was Taco Tuesday but fans had a bigger appetite for Sweetwater Valley baseball.
”It’s awesome, it’s contagious,” said Melissa Triplett about the crowd’s energy. “It’s amazing seeing the community come together. It’s just an amazing experience.”
Triplett said her cousin is Sweetwater Valley player Levi Mendez.
Sixteen-year-old Zac Baffico sat with his family in the patio of the Mexican eatery watching the game on a big screen television with the sun beaming down on him.
Zac provided his analysis of the game: “They started a little slower but ended the game with a bang,” he said. “They need to start a little faster.”
