Top 10 most exciting state title football games

A state championship football game is exciting enough before the first kickoff. The idea of a winner-take-all football game with so much emotion attached to it, usually played in a big-time venue, excites even the most casual fans.

But some games stand out above all the others. MaxPreps reveals the Top 10 most exciting state title games from the 2011 season.

10. Minnesota: St. Croix Lutheran (West St. Paul) 34,
Fairmont 32
The two teams played a back-and-forth fourth quarter in the Minnesota Class 3A state championship game with St. Croix Lutheran scoring on a pass play midway through the fourth quarter to take the lead and adding another touchdown after a Fairmont turnover to go up by eight points. Fairmont scored on an 11-yard pass from Ben Kain to Bryce Holm with 8 seconds left, but it missed the 2-point conversion that would have sent the game into overtime. Story

9. Alabama: Prattville 35, Hoover 34
The Lions won the Alabama 6A state championship by rallying from a 28-14 deficit with 21 straight points for a 35-28 lead. Hoover rallied to score in the final minute on a 1-yard run by quarterback Connor Short, but Prattville's Lawon Debardelaben and Laronji Vason made the tackle on Jarrett Brown to stop the 2-point conversion. Story

8. Illinois: Rochester 42, Richmond-Burton (Richmond) 39
Wes Lunt threw for 506 yards in leading Rochester to its second-straight Illinois Class 4A state championship, but an interception at the goal line nearly led to a come-from-behind win for Richmond-Burton. Jack Dechow, who gained 244 yards rushing in the contest, got Richmond-Burton into Rochester territory in the final seconds, but it turned the ball over on downs, allowing Rochester to hold on for the win. Story

7. New York: Sayville 78, Lawrence (Cedarhurst) 61
Although not necessarily a close game, the Long Island Class III championship game was one of the highest-scoring games of the season. Zach Sirico ran for 228 yards and six touchdowns for Sayville while Lawrence quarterback Joe Capobianco completed 27 of 41 passes for 541 yards and seven touchdowns. The teams combined for 1,276 yards. Story

6. Kansas: South (Olathe) 41, Heights (Wichita) 37
Jordan Ward ran 41 yards for a touchdown in the final minute to lift South Olathe to the win over Heights in the Kansas 6A state championship game. Ward finished the day with 263 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The teams were tied at 34 when David Hoyer kicked a 25-yard field goal for Heights with just more than 3 minutes to play. That set up Ward's game-winning run. Story

5.  Wisconsin: Colby 44, Lancaster 43
Colby used a double-reverse fleaflicker play in overtime to defeat Lancaster for the Wisconsin Division 5 state championship. Tyler Myers caught the 25-yard pass play amid two defenders and Michael Knetter kicked the extra point to provide the margin of victory. The game set a record for combined points in a state championship game as well as total yards of offense (810). Story

4. Maryland: Old Mill (Millersville) 36,
Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg) 35
Old Mill rallied from a 21-point deficit to defeat Quince Orchard in the Maryland Class 4A state championship. Robert Chesson scored on a 2-point conversion run in overtime to give Old Mill the win. Old Mill sent the game into overtime when quarterback Deonte Shields threw 70 yards to Carl Chance with 42 seconds left in the game. Kicker Brady Hannon then had to convert a 35-yard extra point after the Patriots were penalized for excessive celebration in order to tie the game at 28-28. Story

3. Mississippi: Olive Branch 35, Petal 34
Olive Branch rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit and scored its final touchdown on a 1-yard run by Todd Mays with 1:12 left in the Mississippi Class 6A state title game. The Conquistadors went for the 2-point conversion and Mays ran it in for the one-point lead. Petal still had a chance for the win, but a 38-yard field goal went wide of the mark in the final seconds. Story

2. California: Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) 42, Bellarmine (San Jose) 37
Bellarmine led late in the game against Santa Margarita in the California Division 1 State Bowl Game, taking a 37-35 lead with 1:46 left on a run by Justin Taliaferro. But the Eagles put together a drive in the waning seconds and scored on a leaping 1-yard quarterback keeper on fourth-and-1 by Johnny Stanton with just 16 seconds left in the game. Story

1. Ohio: Norwayne (Creston) 48, Kenton 42
Norwayne prevented the nation's all-time passing yardage leader Maty Mauk from going out a champion in the Ohio Division IV state championship game. Adam Wallace accounted for seven touchdowns in the win including a 31-yard pass to Kaleb Harris with 31 seconds to go that provided the game-winning score. Norwayne also had to intercept Mauk at the goal line on the last play of the game to preserve the win. Story