All-Star games can have significance for a variety of reasons. Whether it's the history, pageantry or opportunity for players to take the field with some of their fiercest adversaries, the games typically offer a unique atmosphere for all involved.

And when the 2014 Panther Valley Little League Tournament held its annual All-Star contest on Sunday afternoon, the revered event was no exception.Drawing from Little League Associations the include Tamaqua, Jim Thorpe, Nesquehoning, Lansford, Towamensing and Franklin Townships, the various organizations were broken up into teams of East and West rosters. And for the first time ever, the event featured a 9-10 year-old contest to go along with its long-running 11-12 year-old staple.Neither contest disappointed, as both groups showed off their abilities in two well-played games. The West took the 9-10 title with a dramatic 7-6 win over the East. The West was also victorious in the 11-12 championship, defeating the East 5-2.Regardless of the outcomes, the chance for the players to shine was one they took advantage of, something that certainly didn't go unnoticed."I think often times what we forget is that these are nine and 10-year old kids," said 9-10 year-old East coach Mike Netznik. "But they came out and made plays that you don't see two levels up. Overall, I'm very pleased with the outcome."A loss is a loss, and it's tough. But I think the kids on both sides played very well."The East team, comprised of players from Tamaqua White, Tamaqua Blue and Towamensing, held what looked to be a commanding 6-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. But the West rallied, as Anthony Voto, Nate Armbruster and Johnny Byers all reached on errors and came around to score on wild pitches to cut the deficit to 6-4 heading into the final inning.The West, made up of players from Franklin, Anthracite and Jim Thorpe, kept that momentum in the sixth, as James Lordi reached on an error with two outs. Hunter Crum followed with an infield single, and Brad Hood brought in Lordi with a base hit to make it 6-5.Voto wasted little time making the most of the late-game opportunity, smashing a ball to left field the went to the wall, allowing Hood and Crum to score the winning runs.West coach Mike Pascoe credited his team's strong finish to its desire and will to win."It definitely picked up," he said of the game's competitiveness. "You could hear it in the dugout; you could hear the coaches talking; you could even hear the fans. This is supposedly the best-of-the-best of this group, and when you take the diamond you expect to win. It's the competitive nature of the game."It's great to be out there and play. But at the same time, it's a game and you're keeping score, so you want to win."The 11-12 year-old game didn't feature the same spectacular ending, but that didn't mean there was any shortage of remarkable plays at the plate and in the field.After four scoreless innings for both sides, the West's big hitters made their presence felt. Mark Kokinda started the fifth inning with a leadoff homer to centerfield for a 1-0 advantage.Nate Boyle followed with a single, and Luke Eitner slammed the second home run of the inning to left field for a 3-0 lead. The West got one more run in the fifth when Kyle Rusnack scored Brayden Knoblauch with a single for a 4-0 cushion.The West, featuring players from Lansford, Towamensing and Tamaqua Blue, looked primed for more in the sixth, but the East's Sebastian Rodriguez made an extraordinary catch in centerfield to rob Tyler Haydt of a potential two-run homer.Rodriguez was able to help his team at the plate in the bottom of the inning, reaching on an error and eventually scoring on three wild pitches.But the West got the run back in the seventh, as Nate Boyle hit a long solo shot to left field.The big hits were a part of the game West coach Randy Schoch knew his team was capable of, regardless of the competition."You're seeing everyone's best pitchers," he said. "It's not like a regular season game, and even throughout the Panther Valley Tournament you're seeing the better pitchers."But you just have to know who they can hit and who they can't. You just have to adjust to the pitcher. That's it."Schoch also got great performances on the mound from his side, as Boyle, Kokinda and Eitner went three innings apiece, allowing a total of four hits.Doug Yoder, who coached the East team that was comprised of players from Tamaqua White, Jim Thorpe Blue, Franklin Gray and Anthracite, was thankful for the chance to participate in and host the finale of the three-week tournament."It was just fun to be here," he said. "And I think that was the idea. I don't think the score meant a whole lot to either team."We were just trying to work guys in, get them at-bats and give them the opportunity to play. I hope they were able to make some new friends and I think it was a nice experience for those that were able to come."9-10 All Star GameEast 023 010 - 6 8 5West 001 033 - 7 5 5Eitner, Semko (4), Sherry (5) and Cococci, Hoffman (5); Lordi, Voto (2), Armbruster (3), Guyn (3), Byers (5), Lienhard (6) and Pascoe, Hood (3), Crum (4), Pascoe (5). W - Lienhard. L - Sherry.11-12 All Star GameWest 000 040 100 - 5 9 3East 000 001 010 - 2 4 4Boyle, Kokinda (3), Eitner (6) and Titus, Surotchak (4), Titus (7); Gazdick, Rodriguez (2), Lutz (5), Miller (6), Binder (7), Gregoire (8), Robin (9) and Demetriades, Miller (2), Snisky (3), Demetriades (5), Snisky (6), Miller (9). W - Kokinda. L - Lutz. S - Eitner. HR - West: Kokinda (5th, none on); Eitner (5th, one on); Boyle (7th, none on).