CANTON, Ohio (WCMH) — The winningest class in Bishop Watterson history now has the victory that mattered the most.

The Eagles rallied from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat Toledo Central Catholic, 19-14, in the OHSAA Division III championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Friday night. The victory completes a perfect 16-0 season for Watterson and earns the program’s first state title since 2010 and third overall.

Quarterback Drew Bellisari’s nine-yard touchdown with 1:29 left in regulation ended up being the decisive score for the Eagles, completing a drive that was in peril until tight end Dominic Theado made an emphatic 18-yard grab on fourth down to move the chains.

“That was a crazy catch. I put all my faith in him and he made the play. That’s what we do. We trust our brothers out here,” Bellisari said. “We talked all year about how we’re going to have to fight through adversity. And even at halftime, things didn’t go our way. We fought through it and we won the state championship.”

Bishop Watterson had been dominant all season long, averaging over 40 points a contest and blowing out opponents. But the Fighting Irish, who had beaten the Eagles in the state final a year ago, proved to be the toughest challenge of the year.

Ali Beydoun scored the opening touchdown to put Central Catholic on the board first in the opening quarter with a four-yard run to the corner of the endzone in a play that had to be reviewed for confirmation. The Irish had a chance to take a 10-0 lead at half but a missed field goal kept Bishop Watterson within striking distance.

Senior running back Zach Weber got the Eagles on the board in the third quarter with a 28-yard run for his 24th score of the season. But the momentum was quickly swept away on the ensuing play when Central Catholic’s Jeremiah Fuller returned the kickoff for an 86-yard touchdown.

In the fourth, Bellisari connected with Theado for a 52-yard touchdown, marking his 30th passing score of his junior season. Central Catholic’s ensuing drive ended in a punt, giving the Eagles a chance to take the lead. Bellisari needed 5:48 to orchestrate the game-winning drive, which included the dramatic fourth-down catch by Theado, to put Watterson in front for good with his 14th rushing touchdown of the season.

Weber led Watterson’s rushing attack 134 yards on 28 carries in his final game as an Eagle. Theado had 70 yards on two catches, and they were arguably the most important receptions of the game.

“What a great play call by our offensive coordinator John Wallace. To execute it like that, that was huge,” head coach Brian Kennedy said.

Friday’s game marked the only rematch from last year’s championship slate. Central Catholic had won back-to-back state titles but its bid for a third was thwarted by the Eagles, who had never won 16 games in a single season prior to this year.

“It’s everything. This is the best thing I have ever seen. I’m so happy for this community,” Weber said. “Not just me, this community. It’s all of us together. It’s not just this team but it’s everybody here that came to support us so it’s incredible.”