The Golden Eagles won their first state title over Licking Valley, 17-10.

CANTON (AP) — Joe Reed twice turned tiny opportunities into big touchdowns to lead Sunbury Big Walnut to its first state football championship.

Reed scored on a 54-yard interception return and picked up his teammate’s fumble and went 60 yards for the go-ahead score in a 17-10 win over Newark Licking Valley in the Division III title game at Fawcett Stadium Friday.

“It was just one of those days when things bounced my way,” Reed said after his second big play snapped a 10-10 tie in the fourth quarter.

With under 10 minutes left, Cory Wolfe broke through the Licking Valley line for an 8-yard gain, then fumbled. The ball bounced right to Reed, who snared it on the run and never broke stride in taking it to the end zone.

“I was thinking, ‘What’s going on?’ ” Reed said. “It was funny that he fumbled because the same thing happened last week and the ball came right to me and I scored from three yards. Weird.”

The Golden Eagles recovered two fumbles and picked off three passes — including two by Nicholas Heiden in the final three minutes to thwart a Licking Valley comeback. Heiden’s final pick came with 25 seconds remaining after the Panthers had reached the Big Walnut 15.

Big Walnut (14-1), which had never advanced as far as the state semifinals before this season, managed only three first downs in the game and were outgained 322-109. But Reed had 114 yards on his two big plays.

His interception return gave the Golden Eagles a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The senior, a special mention selection to the Division III All-Ohio team this week, stepped in front of a pass from Drew Ryan, a second-team quarterback throwing a receiver-option pass. Reed ran down the right sideline to score.

Big Walnut converted another turnover into a 10-0 halftime lead.

The Panthers’ Colton McCarty fumbled on a reverse. Big Walnut’s Colton Griffis recovered and five plays later, Andy Dronsfield kicked a 33-yard field goal.

Licking Valley (13-2) tied it in the third quarter.

The Panthers got a safety when a low snap from center scooted past Big Walnut quarterback Ethan Wetzel and out of the end zone, making it 10-2.

Storm Klein then picked his way through the right side for an 8-yard scoring run with 2:04 left in the quarter. Nick Phillips’ 2-point conversion pass to Vince German made it 10-10.

Klein, playing with a sore shoulder, gained 155 yards on 33 carries.