BILLINGS — The Dehler Park infield last Sunday gave me a landmark moment in my (admittedly short) career as a sports journalist.
Of course, that was the place where the Billings Scarlets became the first Montana team in 62 years to qualify for the American Legion World Series after they defeated Eugene (Oregon) — twice — to take the Northwest Region title.
But after all of the airborne hats and gloves landed and the trophies were handed out, the events after indicated to me how special it was to those who followed the Scarlets.
Briar Napier
I was unable to interview all of the trio of coach Adam Hust and two of the Scarlets’ premier talents, infielders Nate McDonald and Kyler Northrop, until probably 30 to 45 minutes after the final out, simply because there was a seemingly limitless sea of people hugging, embracing and/or screaming with every Scarlets jersey they could find. Pinpointing each of the three was difficult, as the elation of the moment saw shades of red, black, and white blend together in the sun.
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Plenty of Legion and Scarlet supporters who have followed the team throughout their 76 games this season were part of the pandemonium, but so were everyday Billings citizens just wanting to part of history. Free admission at Dehler on Sunday probably helped, sure, but people came to the ballpark to be entertained and part of a potentially historic moment — and they got it.
And now, with the Scarlets representing the Northwest region and Montana as a whole at this week’s ALWS in Shelby, North Carolina, it’s time for the rest of Big Sky Country to hop in and cherish the team’s magical ride.
