JACKSON — It has been a long time coming for Adams County Christian School’s football program to finally win a state championship. Thirty-six years, to be exact.

Well, the wait is no more after the Rebels upset No. 1 seed Indianola Academy 29-17 Saturday night at Jackson Academy to claim the MAIS Class AAA State Championship.

ACCS had opportunities to claim a state football championship in recent years, only to come up short. The Rebels lost the Class AA state title game to Centreville Academy 35-21 in 2014. Then just two years ago, they lost to Indianola Academy 42-7 in the Class AAA state title game.

But on a night in which ACCS scored 22 points in the second quarter and its defense shut out the Colonels in the second half, the Rebels can for the first time since 1982 call themselves state champions.

The coaches, players, cheerleaders, and Rebelette dance team members weren’t the only ones excited for the accomplishment. So was the contingent of ACCS fans and parents who made the 100-plus mile trip to the capital city.

“Oh my gosh. I’m almost at a loss for words,” said Chris Newman. “We’ve always been the underdogs. Tonight we’re the victors.”

Newman said the “visiting” team crowd was, in a word, “Awesome.”

“The AC crowd that showed up tonight, they have been super pumping their boys up, cheering, screaming for their boys. It’s just been an awesome night,” Newman said. “This is a night like no other.

“Finally, after six years, we’ve got the crowd behind us, the team behind us, the town behind us, The Democrat behind us. We are all smiles tonight. We have been chasing this for years, and we’ve got it. It’s so loud up here right now, it’s unbelievable.”

Gary McIntosh said it best when describing what the Rebels went through after having an undefeated season, the District 5-AAA championship, and a likely No. 1 seed taken away from them when the MAIS took their first seven wins away after ruling that they had an ineligible player.

“They got seven games snatched from them. They didn’t let that bother them. They dug in. They came back. It’s fabulous. These guys have put it out this year. They worked hard,” McIntosh said. “Right now they’re getting the MAIS Class AAA state championship trophy. They would not be denied this championship.”

McIntosh said Adams County as well as Indianola were represented tremendously and that both sides of the stands were packed.

“It’s a good night to be a Rebel,” McIntosh said. “The coaches, players, cheerleaders, just everybody involved has been phenomenal. These kids refused to be denied this state championship. Indianola (Academy) scored 17 points tonight. We may have had one team put up more points than that. I’m extremely proud if them.”