SPANISH FORT, Alabama — The Fairhope Lady Pirates eighth-grade basketball team pulled off the perfect season last week and capped their 21-0 campaign with the Baldwin County Middle School championship crown.

Fairhope defeated Bay Minette 35-19 at Spanish Fort Middle School which hosted the county tournament in the girls final Wednesday.

Fairhope played teams from Mobile and Baldwin counties. Fairhope head coach Chad Keith said there were a number of keys to the perfect record including being blessed with a special group of players, administrators and parents who supported the program.

“We had a great  group of kids, had a great year. Just easy to work with in practice and in the games. A lot of the kids are in the Honor Society and all of them are great students that work hard in the classroom and work hard in the gym. Had great support from parents, from everyone at school. Had experience, with three kids who played up last year who were back at this level again. That helps a lot, especially early in the year. Bay Minette played hard. They only lost four games this year. And they are young with a lot of seventh graders mixed in like we were last year, so they will be back and be a very good team to reckon with again next year.”

Keith, who also coaches the eighth-grade boys and both seventh-grade squads reiterated his thanks to the parents for helping and adjusting to a later practice schedule because he also has another part-time job.

“Parents played a big role in it because I drive a bus everyday after school. So that means the parents have to bring them back later to practice and that’s not always convenient, I know, so this is really for them as much as anybody. They deserve a big part of this.”

Fairhope turned a 9-7 first-quarter lead into a 17-12 advantage at the half. But a big 11-2 run in the third period put the Lady Pirates in control down the stretch.

Mary Biggs led the Lady Pirates with 11 points, Kaylyn Bivins  added 10, Hayley Melton had six and Abby Hamilton four. The Lady Tigers got 10 points from DeeDee Maye and five from T'air Pogue.

Bivins and Hamilton, Maye and Pogue were named to the 2012 All-Baldwin County Tournament Team along with Melton who was also selected the tournament Most Valuable Player. Other players named to the All-Tournament team were Breanna Watkins of Central Baldwin, Katie Williams of Daphne, Jetonnica Dade of Foley, Hannah Tilley of Gulf Shores and Rose Gul of Spanish Fort.

In round one, Spanish Fort defeated Daphne, Gulf Shores def. Foley and Bay Minette def. Central Baldwin.