May 17—JACKSONVILLE — Wes Brooks didn't leave a doubt in anyone's mind about his thoughts on his state champion Yellow Jackets.

"This might be the best team in Oxford baseball history."

After downing Spanish Fort in a 12-3 win Wednesday and claiming the program's second state baseball championship, there may not have been a thought in anyone's mind that says otherwise.

Brooks, who led his team to a state championship for the first time since 2012, already said that he wishes there was more baseball to be played.

"They are in a great place right now, I really wish we could play another couple of months," Brooks said. "They are in a really good spot hitting, I think we struck out maybe once today."

The Yellow Jackets racked up 12 hits in Wednesday's championship-clinching victory, with Carter Johnson going 3-for-4 to lead the team in hits.

"I couldn't ask for a better group to grow up with," Johnson said.

Hudson Gilman and Trace Adams each finished with two hits and a team-high three RBIs.

Hayes Harrison, who was named Class 6A state championship MVP, said that for the Yellow Jackets' nine seniors, winning a state championship together is something they've been thinking about since they were kids.

"We've been thinking about this for a long, long time. Us three specifically have been playing ball for forever, and this is what we dreamed up," Harrison said, pointing to Peyton Watts and Sam Robertson. "It's really big to have this opportunity to be where we're at right now. I'm speechless right now."

Watts pitched the first 5 1/3 innings of the contest, allowing six hits and three runs (none earned) while walking one and striking out two. RJ Brooks came in relief to pitch the remainder of the game, allowing no hits and walking no batters while striking out two.

As he reflected on the season following his five and a third innings pitched, the Troy commit said that the dream of hoisting a trophy goes all the way back to middle school.

"Since our seventh grade year, we've been talking about this moment right here," Watts said. "To have the year that we've had as a group and a family, it's surreal. It doesn't feel real right now."

Added Brooks: "I think they were 10 or 11 years old, on one of the backfields of Choccolocco Park doing a summer practice with their travel team, and we talked about the mental game, We talked about leadership, we talked about a lot of those things."

Brooks said that the team will go to Bud McCarty field to celebrate, with one of the celebrations including smashing a rock that was buried under home plate with their one — word focus on it with a golden hammer.

Focus, discipline and determination were among the words written on the buried rocks.

After hoisting the Class 6A championship trophy, Brooks said that he's confident that the Yellow Jackets accomplished everything they wanted to in their illustrious season.

"I don't know that there's anything that they wrote down that they did not accomplish," Brooks said. "Every opportunity, an area championship, a county championship, the Hoover Showdown championship and a state championship. That's going to be special for the next couple of hours, and I'm looking forward to it."

Sports Writer Thomas Ashworth: 256-236-1551. On Twitter: @ThomasAshworth0.