Three days following his last-second, game-winning, 31-yard touchdown pass in the 3A football state title game, Juan Diego quarterback Cody Stevenson was asked if he thought the Soaring Eagle's 12-10 win over Hurricane was the beginning of a dynasty.

Before finishing his response, he paused mid-sentence to accept a round of congratulations as he walked into the local Sizzler for a quick after-school meal.

It's been a common occurrence since his miracle pass to Bruce Nix, stepping in for an injured Keegan Andersen, on Friday night earned the Soaring Eagle its second 3A state title in a row. When Stevenson returned to school Monday, he found fans around every corner.

For Stevenson, the attention has been almost as surreal as the game's final seconds.

But he admits that it's not getting old yet.

"It's fun being the hero for a little while," said Stevenson.

And well-deserved.

It would have been easy for the Soaring Eagle to give up hope after Hurricane's Adam Long marched in a 9-yard touchdown to give the Tigers a 10-6 lead with less than a minute left in the game.

But Stevenson looked at the clock and knew it wasn't over. He rallied his troops and came up with a plan

"We had 40 seconds to cover 80 yards. We showed that's plenty of time," Stevenson said. "There's no 'can't -do' anymore. We proved that on Friday night."

That's not to say Stevenson never had doubts.

"I started questioning it. I thought, 'What if we lose?' We had been winning the whole time and suddenly we were 40 seconds from defeat," Stevenson said.

But the Soaring Eagle still had a chance. After drawing a couple of deep breaths, Stevenson rallied his troops, executed a four-play, 80-yard drive as receivers were able to drag the ball out of bounds to stop the clock. Stevenson found himself with one last chance to pull off the most unlikely of comebacks.

As the ball was snapped, the Soaring Eagle's offensive line squashed the Tigers' blitz, leaving Stevenson plenty of time to find his target. After he reeled his arm back and released the ball, he wasn't sure of the final result.

But he knew he had done all he could.

"I just started praying," Stevenson said. "I just knew I had to get it in the end zone and Bruce made one heck of a catch."

The best in school history, in fact.

Given the consistency problems Nix had faced throughout the year, his final catch of the season was not only a game-winner -- it was redemption.

"It's been hard for him to live in Keegan's shadow," said Stevenson. "He had struggled in some games and had gotten a lot of crap from some kids."

No one is giving him trouble any more. But rather than revel in the glory, Nix gives all the credit to Stevenson's spot-on pass.

"It's the greatest play that could happen to anyone," Nix said. "It was one of the greatest passes I've ever seen. It wasn't me -- it was all Cody."

The only question that remains is if Juan Diego is on its way to become the state's newest football dynasty.

"Isn't that when a team wins four or more titles?" Stevenson asked.

Perhaps.

But given their dominance over the past three seasons, the designation certainly isn't far off.

Over the past four seasons in Class 3A, the Soaring Eagle have racked up a 45-7 record. In each of Juan Diego's past two state title runs, the Soaring Eagle's only losses have come to out-of-state opponents. Since the school opened its doors in 1999, Juan Diego has made an appearance in five state title games -- three while playing in Class 2A.

For now, however, Stevenson and the rest of the Soaring Eagle will relish in the moment.

"Maybe it's just when a team works hard, goes out and wins games and gets it done when it counts," Stevenson said.

Given that set of criteria, the Soaring Eagle have already made it.