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Score one for the South End.

Dylan Byrd capped his remarkable career with three touchdowns and Nathan Roush passed for two scores as the DeSales High School football team beat Newport Central Catholic 34-26 in Saturday's Class 2-A championship game at Houchens Industries/L.T. Smith Stadium.

A crowd of 3,504 saw DeSales win its first state title and become just the second school from Louisville's South End to win a championship, joining Butler (1970 and 1979).

"I think it means more to the community and the alumni than it means to us," junior receiver/cornerback Austin Craig said as he was surrounded by celebrating fans. "We worked so hard. We deserve it."

DeSales (14-1) -- No. 10 in the state in The Courier-Journal's Litkenhous Ratings -- was playing in its third championship game, having lost to Henry Clay in the 1981 4-A final and to Fort Campbell in the 2009 2-A final.

Colts head coach Harold Davis was a senior safety on the 1981 team and an assistant coach in 2009.

"I was on one of those teams, so who knows?" Davis said when asked if this is the best team in DeSales history. "But the fact is, this is the first team to win a state championship. To be a part of it in any respect is just great for me."

Byrd, the school's all-time leading rusher, carried 22 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns and also had two receptions for 45 yards and a score. Roush completed 8 of 12 passes for 158 yards and rushed for 87 yards on 11 carries. Austin Craig had four catches for 105 yards.

"We have a great line, and Byrd's a great running back," Roush said. "He's fast and can find holes. We were able to do our regular thing, and we spread them out and passed the ball a little bit and got them on their heels."

Mac Franzen completed 16 of 28 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns for the Thoroughbreds (10-5), who had won two of the previous three 2-A championships but started the 2013 season with a 1-4 record.

"They overcame a lot of adversity," first-year coach Dan Wagner said. "You can't believe how beat up we were at the beginning of the year. They just kept battling and got here, and nobody gave us a chance in the world to get here."

The teams traded touchdowns in the first half before Byrd's second touchdown -- a 6-yard run -- gave the Colts a 21-13 lead entering halftime.

The key swing came to start the third quarter, as the Thoroughbreds drove to the DeSales 19-yard line. DeSales' Gage Pintar sacked Franzen for a 9-yard loss on third down, and Connor Shipley recovered a fumble by Jacob Smith on fourth down to give the Colts the ball.

DeSales needed little time to capitalize as Byrd took a first-down carry around the left side and raced 73 yards for a touchdown and a 28-13 Colts lead.

"When Coach put in that play, I knew it was a touchdown from the beginning," Byrd said. "I knew the blocks were going to be on point, and it was just end zone from there."

Adam Nord's 1-yard touchdown run gave the Colts a 34-13 lead with 47 seconds left in the third quarter before the Thoroughbreds made it interesting in the fourth.

Franzen threw a pair of touchdown passes in the final period, the second one a 14-yarder to Tommy Donnelly that made it 34-26 with 1:30 left in the game. Donnelly finished with nine catches for 203 yards and two TDs.

DeSales recovered the onside kick and picked up two first downs to run out the clock, sparking a wild celebration on the field. "It got a little too close at the end," Davis said, "but we'll take it."

Roush agreed.

"Words can't describe how amazing this feels," he said. "I can't believe it."

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