LINCOLN - Clarkson/Leigh has made history.

The Patriots defeated Neligh-Oakdale 48-20 on Monday evening to claim the Class D-1 State Championship.

"It's always a goal to get here, but I didn't know if that was really a possibility until the last few weeks we just started playing really good football," Clarkson/Leigh Head Coach Jim Clarkson explained. "The kids believed in each other, and we believed in them, and it just worked out."

Clarkson/Leigh trailed by 14 after the first quarter, but the Patriots offensive line and Kyle Kasik took over after that.

"We put a lot of it on our offensive line and Kyle Kasik. They did a great job. Our offensive coordinator Bob McEvoy had a great game plan. He said 'Hey, we're not going to get fancy. We're going to run it right down their throat.'"

Kasik ended up rushing for 320 yards on 45 carries and scored all six touchdowns for that Patriots.

"My teammates just put in all the work," Kasik added. "My O-line is amazing...I find that hole and I hit it hard. It worked out for us today and we dot the W."

The victory marks Clarkson/Leigh's first state title in program history.

CLARKSON/LEIGH (12-1) 0 24 8 16 - 48

NELIGH-OAKDALE (11-2) 14 0 0 6 - 20