By now, the Peabody West Little League all-stars are in Williamsport, Pa., preparing for the Little League World Series.

Depending on how you look at it, the break in games they have since their last contest could be a good thing or a bad thing.

On the positive side, Peabody West has a chance to rest up before heading into the biggest tournament of their young lives. On the flip side, it would have been nice for the Western Leaguers to have the opportunity to ride their current wave of momentum.

Either way, this hiatus (Peabody West opens pool play against McAllister Park American of San Antonio Friday at 8 p.m.) is the perfect opportunity to both look back at what they've accomplished so far — and take a quick glance at what lies ahead.

Let's break down the New England Regional tournament with a best-of list:

Best Welcome to Bristol moment: Peabody West's 13-0 whipping of Bangor (Maine) East was the ideal opener for the local boys. It ended up being pretty clear that Bangor was the least-talented team of a strong bunch, but getting that 'W' right away was the perfect confidence builder. One victory in a tournament of this magnitude can make believers out of any team; that triumph was immediate proof that Peabody deserved to be there.

Best free item given out in Bristol: Sunflower seeds, hands down. What's better than watching a baseball game with a mouthful of seeds? There's no doubt Little League officials worked overtime cleaning up the discarded shells, but the extra drink sales as a result surely made up for it.

Best "chime in" postgame quotes: Peabody pitcher/shortstop Austin Batchelor has a way of chipping in a little extra to the postgame conversations. After Peabody defeated Lincoln, R.I. for the New England title, he had a couple of gems.

When Matt Hosman was talking about his reaction to his game-winning grand slam, Batchelor said he "did the Manny" — in reference to Hos immediately throwing up his hands, a la Manny Ramirez after a long home run.

Also, when a reporter asked Matt "The Rat" Correale to elaborate on an answer, Batchelor said, "He doesn't know what that means."

Best flying-under-the-radar player: Mike Petrosino has a way of quietly slipping to the back of the pack no matter how much damage he does. Let's put it this way: Petrosino won a game with a two-run homer in Bristol and picked up a win with four innings of no-hit ball. Still, when everyone headed for home after the title had been decided the talk still centered around Hosman, Batchelor and Correale. Secretly, it seems Petrosino likes it that way.

Best trio of reserves ever?: How about J.J. Layton, Cody Wlasuk and Anthony Cravotta? Players who start on the bench often have a hard time adjusting to game speed when put in, but not these guys. Each one is always ready to hit in a pinch, and it's not like there is a hole on defense when they're out there.

Best on-field dance moves: Peabody West assistant coach Danny Marchese stole the show when Dugout, the official mascot of the New England Regional, coerced the veteran skipper onto the field for some pregame dancing before the championship It's safe to say Marchese won't be entering "Dancing with the Stars" anytime soon.

Best goodbye to Bristol: Seriously, do you even have to ask? Hosman's walk-off grand slam was about as dramatic of an exit as you could possibly find.

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Now, Peabody West is focused on making a loud entrance when it crashes Williamsport. It won't be easy. Here's a brief rundown on the teams Peabody is lined up to play, beginning Friday:

McAllister Park American of San Antonio, Texas (Friday, 8 p.m.) - McAllister Park represents the Southwest after winning each of its five games in the regional, outscoring its opponents by a 51-12 margin. The players to keep an eye on are shortstop Drew Brooks (12 for 20, 4 HR, 13 RBI) and outfielder Jacob Ramos (7 for 14, 3 HR, 10 RBI). Travis Daves, who collected two wins, appears to be the team's ace on the hill.

Park View of Chula Vista, Calif. (Sunday, 6 p.m.) - Get ready for this team. Park View outscored its opponents 98-15 through six games. Only two of their six games went the full six innings. Two of the sluggers to watch out for are second baseman Bulla Graft (10 for 19, 7 HR, 16 RBI) and pitcher/first baseman Luke Ramirez (12 for 16, 4 HR, 13 RBI).

Logan County/Russellville of Russellville, Ky. (Tuesday, 2 p.m.) - This team dropped its first two games in the Great Lakes Region before reeling off four straight wins for the title. Catcher Matt Harper (11 for 22, 3 HR, 8 RBI) and leadoff hitter Barrett Croslin (9 for 19, 3 HR, 10 RBI) seem to be the players that get the offense going for the Great Lakes representative.