Hazelwood East got a 29-yard touchdown pass from Eric Brown to Tarrell Downing as time expired to give the Spartans a 39-34 victory for the school's third state title.

Hazelwood East last won a state championship in 1995. The Spartans beat Blue Springs South 42-3 in the Class 5A final, when the game was held in Springfield at Missouri State's Plaster Stadium.

That was the second state championship for Hazelwood East - the first came in 1989 - but the Spartans had lost in their next two trips to the title game, both in downtown St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome.

Hazelwood East was dominated by Blue Springs 28-12 in the Class 5A title game in 2001. The Spartans then lost to Columbia Hickman 34-7 in the Class 6 title game in 2004.

Hazelwood East (10-4) scored on its first series on Friday night. The Spartans went ahead 6-0 on their second play of the game when Eric Brown connected with Tarrell Downing down the right sideline for a 64-yard touchdown pass. The point-after kick was blocked.

Raytown South (13-1) responded with a scoring drive, following Ronnell Garner's 74-yard kickoff return. Five plays later, quarterback Dennis Tanner dived over the goal line for a 1-yard TD run and Tate Thissen's extra-point kick gave the Cardinals a 7-6 lead.

Hazelwood East scored on its next series after keeping the drive alive with a roughing-the-punter penalty. The Spartans scored when DuJuan Owens took a toss left and scored on a 5-yard run. Downing's kick gave East a 13-7 lead.

The Spartans caught a break in the second quarter, when defensive end Dominic Nixon picked up a fumble and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown with 7:51 left in the first half. Downing's point-after kick was wide right as East led 19-7.

Raytown South answered with a scoring drive, capped by Tanner's 11-yard touchdown pass to Courtney Green and Thissen's extra-point kick to cut the deficit to 19-14.

Owens scored his second touchdown of the game, a 2-yard run, with 1:04 left in the first half to put the Spartans ahead 27-14 after a 2-point conversion pass from Brown to Downing.

But Raytown South answered with an 89-yard touchdown run by Garner with 40 seconds left to cut into Hazelwood East's lead at 27-21.

The Cardinals scored on their first possession of the second half when Tanner hooked up with Garner for a 15-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. Garner's second touchdown of the game, coupled with Thissen's point-after kick, gave Raytown South a 28-27 lead with 9:07 left in

the third quarter.

Hazelwood East took the lead with 2:39 remaining when Brown found Courtney Ward along the right sideline for a 27-yard touchdown pass.

The 2-point conversion pass failed, and the Spartans led 33-28.

The Cardinals then marched down field, with Tanner breaking free for a 51-yard run down to the Hazelwood East 10-yard line. Two plays later, Wheaten scored from 3 yards out on a draw play to take back the lead.

Tanner was then sacked attempting a 2-point conversion pass.

Hazelwood East advanced to the Raytown South 29-yard line with 4 seconds remaining for one final play. Brown rolled right and heaved up a prayer toward the end zone that was caught by Downing as time expired.