Class 4A Championship: Cedar Rapids Xavier Falls In 3OTs

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In the tense moments of a game to determine Iowa's 2021 Class 4A football champion, an odd thing happened. The UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls suddenly went dark.

The incident occurred as Lewis Central of Council Bluffs and Cedar Rapids Xavier were locked in a tight battle. The Titans and Saints were tied at 24-all heading into the third-overtime.

The darkness was caused a timer, which had been set to shut the lights off automatically at 10 PM. Someone forgot to reprogram it.

As a result, the game was delayed 20 minutes. In order to work properly again, the lights had to cool down before they were turned on again. When play resumed, Lewis Central scored on its possession. The Titans secured their first-ever championship by stopping Xavier quarterback Alex Neal, who twice tried to sneak the ball into the end zone from inside the 1-yard-line but couldn't break the plain of the goal line.

Neal finished the night with 72 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 25 carries to lead the Saints. He also threw for 158 yards and a score while completing 10 of 17 passes with one interception.

The Saints rallied from a 10-0 second-quarter deficit. A four-play, 64-yard touchdown drive with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter tied the game and set up the overtime periods.

The game was last of four championship games played at the UNI-Dome on Thursday and all were decided by one possession. The day started with CAM of Anita winning the 8-player title over Easton Valley, 42-40.

West Hancock of Britt captured the Class A crown with a 19-14 win over Grundy Center, a gut-wrenching loss for the Spartans who appeared to have one second left to run a final play from the Eagles' 9-yard-line but were denied the opportunity. It's the third-straight year Grundy Center has played for -- and lost -- the championship.

The Class 1A championship was claimed by Van Meter. The Bulldogs defeated West Sioux of Hawarden 17-14 to win their second title. Sophomore Katie Lindsay made history when she successfully booted two point-after touchdown kicks and made a 27-yard fourth-quarter field goal to become the first girl ever to score in an Iowa high school championship game.