The Truckee football team has captured the Class 3A state championship.

The Wolverines dominated Sports Leadership and Management of Nevada throughout Monday’s title game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, rolling to a 40-13 win and the program’s first championship since 2012.

“We’ve been so close, so close to having one of those teams and to finally have a team that put it all together this season and win a championship, I couldn’t be more proud of my players for what they’ve accomplished and my coaching staff for preparing these guys throughout the season,” said Head Coach Josh Ivens.

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Truckee gained momentum early, recovering a lost fumble by the Bulls on the opening possession, and then scoring a play later on a 35-yard touchdown run by senior Dylan Sumner. The Wolverines then recovered an onside kick, which led to a 14-yard touchdown pass on third and long from senior quarterback Julian Hall to junior Luke Trotter.

Following a turnover on down by Sports Leadership and Management of Nevada, Truckee found the end zone once again, scoring on a 9-yard run by senior Jacob Ivens to make the score 20-0.

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After forcing turnovers on downs on the following two Bulls possessions, Truckee extended its lead just before halftime when Trotter broke free on a 34-yard touchdown run. The kick by senior Matthew Tanner gave the Wolverines a 27-0 lead going into the locker room, marking the second week in a row the Wolverines defense didn’t allow a first-half touchdown.

“We were just dedicated to doing our assignments and playing with some swagger  — knowing we’re going to be the best defense on the field that day,” said Tanner, who finished the game with a sack and five tackles, including three tackles for a loss. “It was amazing to see all that hard work pay off, and then for Truckee football, getting our first state championship in 10 years is something special.”

Truckee struck again to open the second half, eating up more than six minutes on a drive that was capped by a 9-yard pass from Hall to senior Ezra Scharp. Hall completed 12 of 14 passes on the afternoon and finished the game with 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Sports Leadership and Management of Nevada got on the board late in the third quarter, connecting on a long touchdown pass. The Bulls added another touchdown on a pass in the fourth quarter, but botched the extra point attempt.

The Wolverines scored the season’s final points with a few seconds remaining, reaching the end zone on a short run by Ivens to make the final score 40-13. Ivens finished the game with 50 rushing yards.

Truckee ran for nearly 300 yards in the game. Trotter led the Wolverines with 110 rushing yards. Sophomore Joe Birnbaum had 60 rushing yards. Sumner had 55 yards and three receptions for 40 yards.

“Making it that far is a dream everyone has,” said Sumner. “It definitely means a lot.”

Junior Max Ellermeyer led the team with 51 receiving yards and two catches.

Defensively, senior Jake Doughty, junior Miles Kelly-Caruthers, senior Donivan Lopez, and Ellermeyer each finished the game with 10 tackles. Lopez also recovered a fumble. Junior Fabian Cerda caused a fumble.

“When these guys lock in and when they’re between the lines, they are one of the great teams. Truckee football has been around 76 years now and they hear a lot about the tradition and they hear a lot about things from the past. These guys are in a very elite group,” said Ivens.

“This team loved each other, they played for each other, they trusted each other, and they always believed in one another.”

The championship is the 13^th in program history.

“We’ve all played together throughout Pop Warner, so everyone knew each other, everyone loved each other,” said Hall. “We all just had trust in one another to do their assignments. Truckee football has been the best part of my life. It gave me something to work for.”

The Wolverines conclude the season with an 11-1 record, including a 5-0 record in Northern – West League play. Truckee defeated its two state playoff opponents by a combined score of 75-20.

“Jim Doughty, credit to him,” said Ivens on the team’s defense. “He’s been a part of this coaching staff since 2003 and he’s the mastermind behind the defense — has been for many years.”