Shane Wagner’s tackle preserved the Greyhounds’ first state championship, 35-34.

HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) — State champions by a yard.

Wilmington Area High’s Derrick Burns scored on a 1-yard touchdown run and then later teammate Shane Wagner tackled West Catholic’s Curtis Drake at the 1 on a potential game-winning 2-point conversion attempt Saturday, as the Greyhounds claimed the Pennsylvania state Class AA title with a thrilling 35-34 victory in double overtime.

“I tripped him up,” said Wagner, sporting an ear-to-ear grin. “I don’t know if anybody else got him, but I got his legs.”

And a shiny first-place trophy, too.

It wasn’t easy, not against a West Catholic team from Philadelphia thought to be heavily favored coming into the game.

Wagner did his best to prove the prognosticators wrong. Also a quarterback, Wagner saved a broken fourth-and-16 play in the first overtime by scampering from left-to-right across the field into the end zone to tie the game at 28.

A storybook ending that Wagner never dreamed could happen.

“Not in a million years,” he said.

For all of the mistakes by West Catholic (14-2) in the contest, including two fumbles and two interceptions, the Burrs were still in it in double overtime despite giving up 14-0 halftime lead.

Burns’ 1-yard TD run in the second overtime put Wilmington (15-1) ahead 35-28, before Raymond Maples ran into the end zone from four yards out to draw West Catholic within a point.

A raucous crowd already left out of breath by a string of dramatic drives waited anxiously for West Catholic coach Brian Fluck’s next move.

Foregoing the extra-point kick attempt that could have tied the game, the offense trotted out for a 2-point conversion chance from the 3.

Fluck said he wanted to put the game in the hands of his best players. West Catholic was also churning out yards on the ground, outgaining Wilmington Area, 398-194. Three players finished with more than 100 yards rushing, including star quarterback Drake, who had 112 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Drake rolled left around end on the conversion play, but was met at the 2 by Wagner, whose hit sent the quarterback tumbling head over heels before his momentum stopped him well short of the goal line.

“We thought that we could get in from the 3-yard line, and we just fell that much short,” Fluck said after his disappointed squad got the runners-up trophy.

Wagner sprung up from the ground and joined his jubilant teammates to celebrate Wilmington’s first state title. This is a victory that this western Pennsylvania town, with a population of roughly 1,100, will remember for a while.

“I don’t coach to win a state championship. But it’s just a tremendous reward for me that these kids could come through like that and win that game,” Wilmington coach Terry Verrelli said. “I’m just amazed.”

The stand in double overtime capped a back-and-forth affair after halftime, when Wilmington scored all 35 of its points.

West Catholic was foiled by several blunders and another failed play at the end of the first half deep in Wilmington territory.

With roughly 5 seconds on the clock at the end of the half and the ball at the 2 following a Wilmington penalty, West Catholic ran a play instead of trying a field goal. Drake was tackled for no gain and West Catholic couldn’t use its remaining timeout.

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