FAIRHOPE, Alabama—The Troy O-Zone All-Stars are the 2012 Dixie Youth State Champions after sweeping through the 16-team field and defeating state runner up White Plains 12-5 in the championship game Friday morning at Fairhope's Volanta Park.

Despite schedule delays due to weather much of the week, the Alabama Dixie Youth O-Zone state tournament competitions got under way last Saturday in Fairhope and concluded Friday morning. Most of the final rounds were played in the morning this week to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms. Teams began to fall out Sunday from the double-elimination format including the host team Fairhope American. Spanish American, the only other local club, made it to the third round.

Fairhope was knocked out early with first and second round losses. The second, a tough one-run heartbreaker. Spanish Fort won their first and third round games but fell on the even rounds to finish 2-2. Spanish Fort’s final effort was a tough one-run loss as well.

Tough breaks and hard-knock defeats might have more character-building value than sweeping through all the way to the championship, but—no way—is it as much fun.

So in a field of 16, 15 coaches have the unenviable task of conveying to 11-12 year-olds —whose heads are hanging low and whose eyes are damp (for a moment that seems like forever to them) —the importance of how to measure success: Not just by how often you win the big trophy, but by how often you return to the competition for it.

Spanish Fort coach Manny Estrada and Fairhope coach Brent Dowsey had those duties this year for the two local teams that made the state sweet 16.

"It was a great run, just not quite good enough to keep going," Estrada said Wednesday after a tough 10-9 loss to Decatur American. "But the effort was there and the determination. One thing you can say about these guys is that they never, ever quit. You can't intimidate them. We go up, we get behind, we tie it, go ahead, get behind, come back. All our games we lost were like this, battles. By two runs and one run. Our wins were bigger, decisive. But we met two really good teams and it took good teams to knock us out.

“I'm just proud of these guys. They play hard, they play smart, know their job and get it done. Just a great bunch of kids who worked hard to get here and kept working hard to keep going right to the last out. And they rely on each other. Great team spirit. Been a pleasure, a joy to work with all of them this year. And it will be fun to see them go on to play in the next level.”

Dowsey, whose team was one of two Fairhope O-Zone teams which were forced to hold a playoff for the automatic bid before the start of the All-Star season said it was a difficult task to address his team Sunday.

"Well, you can’t sugar coat it for this age group. It is what it is and as good as we know we are, we came up short and that happens in this game. But I just wanted them to know that they deserved to be here just like the other 15 teams and told them to hold their heads up. They represented Fairhope well and I’m, their parents, the community— we’re all proud of them.

“But on the field, kids played hard. They were a little nervous yesterday (Saturday-first round) and three kids got hurt, but they kept playing hard and that's all you can ask for. They did their best and that's what we want. It’s what we want them to expect from themselves and I know they do.

"But it’s tough. It was a close one, this second one. Both teams fought had. We hit the ball hard but just couldn't get enough balls through. But I'm proud of these guys and they are going to go on to bigger and better things.

“It was a big deal just getting here and they will remember this experience. The opening ceremonies were special to have here and to play a state tournament in the home park. It’s been great.”

The scores from each game follow. First-round scores: White Plains 10, Fairhope American 2; Southeastern Blue 8, Cherokee National 3; Opelika 7, Oxford 6; Decatur American 1, Taylorville 0; Dothan American 13, Marbury 1; Enterprise National 11, Muscle Shoals 1; Spanish Fort American 13, Decatur National 1; Troy 12, AUM 2.

Second-round: AUM 12, Decatur National 7; Marbury, 4 Muscle Shoals 2; Taylorville 12, Oxford 0 ; Cherokee National 7, Fairhope American 6; Troy 4, Spanish Fort American 2; Dothan American 6, Enterprise National 3; Decatur American 13, Opelika 3; Southeastern Blue 6, White Plains 5.

Third round and fourth rounds: Opelika 8, Marbury 6; Enterprise National 7, Taylorville 8; Spanish Fort American, Cherokee National 5; Troy 8, Dothan American 5; Southeastern Blue 6, Decatur American 5; White Plains 3, Opelika 2; Spanish Fort American 7, Taylorville 6; White Plains 9, Dothan American 7; Decatur American 10, Spanish Fort American 9.

Semi-final rounds: Troy, 7 Southeastern Blue 6; White Plains 8, Southeastern Blue 3; Troy 11, Decatur American 0.

Final round and State Championship Game: Troy 12, White Plains 5.