Did you see it Friday? The movie's ending at Warrior Field?

If not, let me tell you about it.

The real-life documentary - produced by Righetti baseball coach Brian Tomooka - starts with a group of high school baseball players a little down on themselves.

They're mostly seniors - save four juniors. And that means this is their final chance.

Last year, they finished second-to-last out of five teams in the PAC-5 league.

And the discouraging news to begin this season was that the PAC-5 was becoming the PAC-7, adding two competitive squads. Cross-town rival Pioneer Valley would be no cupcake among San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Atascadero.

Those pesky, talented PV Panthers would prove to be their greatest threat- your typical movie plot.

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“Last year, we were lazy,” senior Chad Reynolds said. “We did not want to come out here.”

Who could blame them? They went 4-11-1 in league, including 10 straight games without a win.

But I'm jumping ahead. First, the intro.

The new season begins with a deflating 8-5 loss to a bunch of visiting Pirates that rally for six runs in the sixth inning.

However, coach Tomooka is the Hackman of this film. As usual he keeps his cool demeanor - never too high or too low. He did enter the season ready for anything.

Tomooka knew he had a staff anchor in the 6 foot, 5 inch Trevor Elswick. Besides that, he didn't know much.

And with a major league scheduling format of three-game series against competing schools, it was important to find a reliable, consistent staff.

The Warriors lost their second game, too, to the always daunting Santa Barbara Dons.

Tomooka had a team used to losing, an unstable lineup in a potent expanded league and an opening two-game skid.

The hero's journey had hit it's lowest low. And then the stars revealed themselves.

Devin Lohman was the Redford with the “Wonderboy” bat by his side. He makes the impossible defensive plays look like child's play, the opposing pitchers Bush league - and that's why he's going to Long Beach State next year.

Michael O'Hara started to hit, leading the team with a .422 average. So did catcher Kyle Leon and third baseman Chad Reynolds. They scored so quickly, it became their trademark.

And Tomooka's shaky pitching lineup? Well, this kid named Tommy Patton came out of nowhere to become the staff's best arm - and the league's best ERA man.

Right-hander Zac Turbes decided to test a couple new pitches one day - the cutter and cut changeup. Suddenly he was unhittable.

The movie also had its supporting actors, including Matt Anderson and Jesse Aragon.

The hero was suddenly winning, and even beat those rival Panthers two-out-of-three games. The ultra-competitive league was, remarkably, theirs for the taking.

It was all very inspiring and cliche - but none of this really made the film great.

Every movie needs the underdog, the guy that “wasn't good enough,” the comeback kid.

Enter Charlie Knapp. His performance should win all the awards. He was the breakout star with only a few powerful lines.

“He's the Rudy story,” the Warriors' PA announcer said to a reporter in the movie.

You see, he grew up with all these guys, but he wasn't their athletic equal. Surgeries kept him from playing in junior high. They also kept him from playing as a freshman at Righetti.

He might have been down on himself, and maybe that's why he didn't try out sophomore year.

He did his junior year. Only to get rejected.

While most movies focus on the Danny Duffy's, the Andre Dome's, the Johnny-Can-Do-No-Wrongs, this one ended with Knapp.

He tried-out again before this magical senior season. And made it.

On April 4, Tomooka gave Knapp his first chance. He went 0-for-3 against the league's last-place team. The following day, he went 0-for-1.

However, the Charlie Hustle - who was kicked off his high school team and always told he was too small to be any good - in Knapp wasn't dead just yet.

On April 12th, he went 3-for-4 with four RBIs in a win over Dublin. He had two more hits over the next three games. The 5-foot, 10-inch, 200 pound outfielder couldn't stop hitting.

And here's the movie's ending. With a chance to win the league title against Paso Robles in the season's final game, the Warriors went down 0-4 in the opening inning.

The Comeback Story was ready - and Knapp was going to play his part to perfection.

With a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the first, he scorched a liner out of the third baseman's glove and into left field - as if to say “I dare you.”

In the third, he hit another single for an RBI. In the fourth, he hit a slow grounder back to third. Charlie Hustle bolted for first base. He forced a hurried throw. He just beat out the dropped catch at first base.

And by the time the fifth rolled around, he exuded a truly intimidating confidence. On the first pitch, he drilled an RBI single into left field.

The outright title belonged to the Warriors.

Tomooka got the feel of ice and Gatorade gushing down his back. The Warriors bunched up, hands hung together in victory for one final “Righetti Warriors!” chant. Knapp was the centerpiece. And the hero won.

The playoffs start next Thursday - and the Warriors very well could make a dent - but I say stick it all in the sequel.

Because Friday was a perfect ending.

Fade to black, and let the credits roll.

Sports Writer Dan Watson can be reached at 739-2235 or by e-mail to dwatson@santamariatimes.com

May 13, 2007