After the L.A. fires, Altadena's Little League almost folded. Then, they had the season of a lifetime

But by some miracle, hundreds of kids signed up. A flood of donations funded free gloves and bats and balls and neighboring leagues partnered with the program to provide field space. On opening day last year on March 1, almost 20 Altadena-based teams kicked off what would become a historic season no matter the outcome.

Then, somehow, the league's Braves team of 10- and 11-year-olds pulled off a string of playoff victories no one thought possible.

“Kind of like when the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl after Katrina, we were like, 'Wouldn't it be awesome if some special moment happened this year?'" said Robert "Trey" Milton, a lifelong Altadenan and former Central Altadena Little League player who helped organize the league's post-fire comeback.

Brothers Matthew Milton (left) and Robert "Trey" Milton III, lifelong Altadena residents and Central Altadena Little League supporters. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

"And then it did," Milton said, shaking his head, still in disbelief. "It was exciting.”

The highs and lows from the season — both on the field and off — are captured in a new documentary that follows the community shaken by immeasurable tragedy, and how baseball becomes refuge, providing a space for unbridled joy, unrelenting grit and, perhaps most important, hope.

"Going for Home" premiered earlier this year at local film festivals, including in Santa Barbara and Pasadena, but will make its community debut at a free, special screening Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Altadena's Loma Alta Park.

“It’s a story about underdogs,” said Eric Simonson, the Glendale-based filmmaker who shot and directed the documentary. “This was a really bold step for them to defy the fire, all the effects of the fires, and say we’re going to hold our season anyway. It means that much to be together.”

Filmmaker Eric Simonson and producer Sue Cremin filmed and produced "Going for Home," a documentary about Central Altadena Little League as it existed following the Eaton fire in Altadena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

That alone would have made it all worth it.

"When I found out that we were gonna play, I was like 'Yay! I get something to take my mind off the fire,'" one young player said in the film's trailer.

But then the Braves made their unexpected playoff run and — spoiler alert — won the division title for the first time in league history. It would have been a feat during any season, as Central Altadena Little League is one of the smaller, less resourced programs in the area, but just months after the fire, it felt simply monumental.

Read more: Rebuilding permits in Altadena have picked up, but construction lags and financial woes loom

"It was just incredible what they were able to pull off," Simonson said. "And we felt lucky to be there. It’s one of those magical moments that a documentary filmmaker prays for, hopes for, to capture those moments."

Matthew Milton, Robert's brother and an assistant coach for the Braves, said he still can't believe how the team rallied together, exceeding all expectations and embodying so much of the spirit of Altadena.

Golden Gardner, left, and Louie Holmquist of the AA division Pirates team up to catch a fly ball during practice at Loma Alta Park in Altadena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

"They dug deep within themselves," said Milton, whose son Titus played on the championship-winning team. "They were able to really just take a deep breath, not think about their home not being there. ... They were able to say, 'Let’s have fun right here, let’s work hard. ... Here's my joy.'"

That compartmentalizing and focus they learned on the field, he said, "that gives you opportunity to keep on fighting for the real life stuff."

At one point early on, high levels of soil contaminants become a concern at fields across the region, almost derailing the whole season. Still, coaches worked to make the best of unfit practice locations and engage unsettled kids. Parents in the bleachers commiserated about insurance battles and issues with landlords and having to relocate again and again and again.

Throughout it all, baseball remains a constant.

Filmmaker Eric Simonson and producer Sue Cremin filmed and produced "Going for Home," a documentary about Central Altadena Little League following the Eaton fire. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

“It was an escape," said Sue Cremin, the film's producer and Simonson's wife. "It was community."

The husband-wife team, who knew the league from when their own son played in it about a decade ago, captured footage from across nine months. The film balances raw, emotional interviews of families still grappling with the fire's aftermath with silly moments from the dugout, kids tripping over ball buckets or cheering on their teammates.

In the end, it's a film about "people fighting for joy," Cremin said.

And though the film highlights the Braves' improbable championship, it's clear there isn't necessarily an easy, happy ending to this story.

Central Altadena Little League Pirates head coach Brian Gardner, right, and assistant coach Nick Russo, far left, celebrates a win with the team at Loma Alta Park. Gardner lost his home in the Eaton fire. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

"They have that joyous moment for the team because they win, but life still goes on," said Brian Gardner, a Central Altadena coach for his son's team, a group slightly younger than the Braves. "We’re still in Altadena, we’re still trying to put things back together.”

On a recent spring evening at Loma Alta Park — spruced up by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, since the league's former home at Farnsworth Park remains unusable — Gardner couldn't help but smile.

“When you get on the field, you’re not worried about bills and insurance and the banks," Gardner said, tossing a ball to his son, Golden. "But it’s still a fight every single day."

Farnsworth Park, former home of the Central Altadena Little League, has been closed since the Eaton fire. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.