When the referee threw up his arms to signal a Staley touchdown after that third-and-one mosh pit in the fourth quarter, the Staley section of the dome shook violently, while the Kirkwood side remained still.

That touchdown gave Staley a 35-21 lead, and the score did not change, as Staley won the Class 5 state football championship, while Kirkwood was denied the title for the second time in as many trips to the dome.

The Falcons demonstrated their impressive ground game early. After receiving the ball to begin the game, Staley used approximately 30 seconds, three plays and one huge run to strike first, taking a 7-0 lead.

The Pioneers fought back in a different fashion. After a long drive with multiple third-down conversions, Jordan Bishop, junior quarterback, completed a 2-yard pass to Jarrod Bishop, junior, to tie the game at seven. After a sharp Kirkwood defense forced a three-and-out for Staley, Mike McHugh, senior, returned the punt nearly to the endzone. However, a fumble gave the ball to Staley on the 2-yard line, so the game remained tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Staley dominated the second quarter, scoring twice, to make the score 21-7 going into halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Jordan Bishop threw a 10-yard pass to Ramon Alton, junior, to cut the Staley lead to 21-14. After another Falcon score made it 28-14 Staley, the Pioneers struck back quickly. After scrambling away from four Staley defenders, Bishop shoveled a short pass to Alton, who ran the ball 64 more yards down the field for a touchdown, cutting the lead to seven yet again. The Pioneers quickly got the ball back on offense, and began driving the ball downfield early in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie the game. However, penalties forced them back into a third-and-41 situation. Jordan Bishop launched a prayer down the field toward Mike McHugh, senior. McHugh cut away from the defender leaped and caught the ball for a catch which would have been for roughly 35 yards. The referee called McHugh out of bounds, although television replays showed he was in bounds when he caught the ball. The Pioneers were forced to punt the ball away.

Staley received the punt and began working its way down the field. After a hard fought drive and a 1-yard touchdown run in which Trent Rosick, junior and Staley quarterback, pushed forward an enormous cluster of large white and red uniforms, Staley had a 35-21 lead late in the fourth quarter. A sack of Jordan Bishop sealed the victory for Staley, who won its first state championship in the school’s short history.

Kirkwood finished the season with a record of 12-1, while Staley went 14-0. Although the outcome was not favorable, McHugh was happy with the effort Kirkwood gave.

“They got it done,” he said of Staley. “We played our hearts out.”

This is a recap of the game, based on what students, reporters and alumni were saying about the game at different times.