Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: The St. Edmond boys celebrate their Class 1A state title on Friday in Des Moines.

DES MOINES – For the second time in program history, the St. Edmond boys are state champions.

And just like the first one in 2000, this one had an incredible rally.

Down by seven points late in the third quarter, the Gaels found their rhythm, using a 19-0 run to defeat Bellevue Marquette here Friday in the Class 1A final, 54-42.

All-state senior Hunter Horn led the charge, scoring nine of his game-high 21 points during the rally that captivated a packed Casey’s Center full of fans clad in Green and White.

Horn closed the third quarter with four consecutive points, spearheading what would become 15 unanswered to start the final vs. the Defenders – a championship squad for a third consecutive season.

This marked the sixth appearance all-time in a state title contest for St. Edmond legendary head coach Adolph Kochendorfer, who announced during the season that he would be retiring at the end of the year. The Gaels also finished second in 2004, ’06 and ’08.

Bellevue Marquette’s scoring drought extended from the 2:17 mark of the third quarter until a 3-pointer with 2:17 to play in regulation.