STOKED: Lake Macquarie under-12s boys' state championship-winning side.
LAKE Macquarie's under-12s boys' Oz Tag team has been crowned state champions.
Eighteen regions were represented in the 12-year-old division at the Junior Oz Tag State Cup, which was held in Wollongong from February 8 to 10.
Lake Macquarie manager Raquel Davis said the boys were placed in a tough pool with both of last year's finalists.
They won five of their six pool games, with a narrow loss to Nepean in their first game.
The lake boys made the quarter-finals ranked sixth out of the top eight from across the pools.
Lake Macquarie played Hills Bulls in the quarter-finals, who up until then had not been beaten, and won pool C. They got over the line, winning 5-4.
Lake Macquarie then played Cronulla in the semi-final, winning 5-1.
They faced Nepean again in the grand final who had beaten them in round one.
Lake Macquarie's defence and ball work improved markedly in the final and they defeated Nepean 4-2.
Ms Davis said this was only the second year that Lake Macquarie had fielded a junior team at the cup.
Last year the boys won only one game at the cup and their turnaround was incredible, she said.