The 85-pound pig came from Jersey Shore, Pa., the shoyu from North Carolina and the lu'au hosts from West O'ahu.

Last night's feast at the home of Michael and Carol Hughes in Montoursville, Pa., will be another highlight on a summer-to-remember 24-day road trip for players and family members of the West O'ahu team battling for a Little League world championship for ages 11-12 in South Williamsport.

The distance from Williams-port, where the team and coaches are quartered, to the Hughes' home is "like driving from Pearl City to Waipahu," said Debra "Debbie" Aliviado, parent of player Layson and wife of West O'ahu field manager Layton Aliviado.

Players are allowed to leave the Little League living and playing area only on days when their teams are not playing, so last night's social was a chance to visit with family and friends and to enjoy some local grinds.

Outfielder Zachary Rosete's father, Jerry, and uncle, Greg, did the cooking. The menu included rice, short ribs, fresh lomi salmon and steamed fish, and roast pork.

"They're so much fun, I love having them here," said Carol Hughes, who is renting three rooms to parents of five West O'ahu players. "They cook, keep everything so neat that it seems like no one is staying in the rooms. This is heaven for me.

"They insist we eat with them and the pork, chicken and beef dishes is the best I've ever had."

The team's unbeaten record is as impressive as the sacrifices by players' parents and the friendships they've made on this trip.

Parent Sese Fe'ao, for example, was talked out of returning home after the regionals in San Bernardino, Calif., by his brother, Chris, who lives in Oakland.

"I told him when I was playing high school, nobody in our family showed up to watch me play and that he had to go because this is a one-time-only thing," Chris Fe'ao said.

The brothers drove 2,007 miles in 38 hours and reached South Williamsport about 90 minutes before the start of West O'ahu's first game last Friday against Pennsylvania.

"He saw it," Chris Fe'ao said of nephew Vonn Fe'ao's two-run home run in the first inning of West O'ahu's 7-1 victory over Pennsylvania. "What do you think that was worth?"

MAKING SACRIFICES

For one, it's worth giving up his job.

Myron Enos Sr. quit as a cement truck operator so he could watch his only son play in the regionals.

"I offered to take leave without pay but couldn't," said Enos, whose son, Myron, who goes by "Kini," plays shortstop and pitcher. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I have no regrets. When he hit the home run on ESPN, I wasn't jumping up and down at home."

Layton Aliviado, a motor vehicle operator for the U.S. Postal Service, used up one month of vacation to coach his team in postseason and was granted leave without pay for a week to finish up at Williamsport.

"It's worth the sacrifice," said Aliviado, who has coached his son, nephew Enos and cousin's son, Sheyne Baniaga, since they were 5 years old. Vonn Fe'ao has played for Aliviado for five years and Alaka'i Aglipay for a couple of seasons.

Most of the boys on Aliviado's team played Military League youth football for the Waipi'o Panthers in the fall and baseball on Sundays in various winter leagues. They decided this year to join the West O'ahu Little League, which had only two Major (ages 11-12) teams but filled out their schedule with interleague games against 'Ewa and Makakilo Little League teams. Aliviado's team is comprised only of players from the two West O'ahu league teams.

His players and parents, however, are a close-knit group.

"The boys get along good mostly because they been together," said Aliviado, who is assisted by Tyron Kitashima and Clint Tirpak.

UNFORGETTABLE

The Mainland sojourn has been a rewarding people experience for all.

"A woman, her name was Nani, used to live in Hawai'i and she and her family drove down from Maryland to bring us Spam musubis in Pennsylvania," Debbie Aliviado said. "In Williamsport, if you go to the gift store, they're sold out of the Northwest T-shirts (the region Hawai'i represents). A lot of people don't have Hawai'i connections but they sit and cheer for our kids.

"There was a family from Illinois that drove down to meet our team after seeing them play on TV in the regionals.

"You know, things like that really touch your heart because it shows people appreciate the hard work our kids put in."

Among the humorous stories they'll be retelling when the parents and team return home Monday will be the search for short ribs for last night's feast. None of the markets knew what that was, Debbie Aliviado said, so Jerry and Greg Rosete had to show the butcher how to cut it.

Winning baseball, ono food, good times and lasting memories.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.