LOYSBURG — Jake Wagner put his head down, squared his broad shoulders and kept his powerful legs churning.

But he fell less than a yard short.

After five months of practices and 13 grueling games, the Karns City football season came down to 18 inches.

Wagner scored on three short touchdown runs in an epic triple-overtime PIAA Class AA playoff game against Bedford, but the bullish senior fullback was stuffed on a 2-point conversion try after his third score, and Bedford pulled off a 28-26 win over the Gremlins.

"We knew they ran power at us, and sometimes we have trouble against power," said Bedford coach Dan Smith. "We just had a defensive charge."

The stop put an end to a dramatic game that saw points hard to come by in regulation, but as abundant in overtime as the wind and snow that whirled around Northern Bedford High School Stadium.

The overtime periods were not short of drama, either, after the two teams slugged it out to a 6-all tie in regulation:

• In the first overtime, Bedford quarterback Marcus Shippey scored on a 10-yard scramble. The Bison elected to go for 2 with wide receiver Kyle Deneen in the shotgun, but his flip to Shippey was errant.

What looked like a disaster turned into good fortune as Shippey scooped up the ball, turned and fired a perfect strike to Kurt Crawford standing in the back of the end zone.

Karns City answered with a 1-yard run by Wagner, then Dylan Hipple plowed into the end zone on the 2-point try to send the game into a second overtime.

• In the second overtime, Karns City (10-3) got the ball first and scored on a 2-yard run by Wagner. But the snap on the extra point was bad and Zach Kepple missed wide left.

Karns City coach Ed Conto said there was no debateabout attempting the kick.

"We thought we were going to make the kick," Conto said. "I wanted to put the pressure on them to make the 2. I didn't think they would kick it."

Bedford started its overtime possession with two straight procedure penalties, putting the Bison back to the 20.

"We called timeout to get everyone settled down," Smith said.

Bedford (7-6) got 13 yards back as Shippey scrambled to his right and found Deneen open at the 7. On the next play, Paul Detwiler bounced off a couple of would-be tackles and plunged into the end zone.

Like Conto, Smith elected to kick the extra point. And like Karns City's attempt, Guillaume Valette's attempt for the Bison went wide left.

• In the third overtime, Detwiler scored again on a 3-yard run, but Smith decided to go for 2 with Deneen in the shotgun again.

This time, Deneen rolled to his left and was wrapped up at the 5, but he heaved a left-handed pass to fullback Tanner Ripple in the front corner of the end zone for the successful conversion.

"It was just an alert play by Deneen," Smith said. "He was the starting quarterback in camp and when he moved him to receiver, he didn't cry about it. He worked hard and did his job."

Wagner again scored on a 1-yard run on Karns City's possession, but was stuffed on the 2-point try.

The Bison are very unlikely state playoff winners after a 1-9 season in 2008 and a 1-5 start to 2009.

Smith, who wore his trademark shorts on a windy and blustery evening, could hardly find the words to describe the feeling.

"These pants are probably older than a lot of you," Smith said to the reporters surrounding him. "These kids, what can I say? They just have quiet leadership and kept going after it and after it."

For Karns City, the night was an exercise in frustration.

The Gremlins had more fumbled (5) than first downs (2) in the first half and a mere 58 yards in the first two quarters.

Bedford took an early 6-0 lead on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Shippey to Deneen that cut through the stiff wind.

But the Bison did little after that scoring drive.

Karns City's only score in regulation came midway through the fourth quarter on a two-play, 52-yard drive. Aaron Markle rumbled 37 yards to the Bedford 15 before Craig Slomers finished it off with a 15-yard scoring run.

"I just don't think we played well," Conto said. "They played a good game, but I don't think we came out to play tonight. We were dead in the locker room before the game. We were just dead all the way around.

"The effort really wasn't there until the fourth quarter and you just can't start playing in a game like this until the fourth quarter," Conto added.

Bedford plays Greensburg Central Catholic next week in the quarterfinals.

Karns City will wonder what might have been.

"The kids had a great year," Conto said. "When you get into the playoffs, you get this far in, you are proud of everything you do. It's a bummer once you lose, but you are going to lose unless you win a state championship. You have to remember that and keep that in perspective."

Bedford 28, Karns City 26Karns City 0 0 0 6 8 6 6— 26Bedford 6 0 0 0 8 6 8— 28KC B10 First Downs 751-175 Rushes-Yards 35-12345 Passing Yards 815-8-1 Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) 5-12-0220 Total Yards 2045-2 Fumbles-Lost 4-24-35 Penalties-Yards 5-35

First QuarterB — Kyle Deneen 36 pass from Marcus Shippey (run failed), 6:06

Fourth QuarterKC — Craig Slomers 15 run (kick blocked), 6:30

First OvertimeB — Shippey 10 run (Crawford pass from Shippey)KC — Jake Wagner 1 run (Dylan Hipple run)

Second OvertimeKC — Wagner 2 run (kick failed)B — Paul Detwiler 7 run (kick failed)

Third OvertimeB — Detwiler 3 run (Tanner Ripple pass from Deneen)KC — Wagner 1 run (run failed)

Individual StatisticsPassing: Karns City, Dylan Hipple 5-8-45-1. Bedford, Marcus Shippey 5-12-81-0.

Rushing: Karns City, Aaron Markle 13-85, Jake Wagner 11-40, Craig Slomers 5-31, Ethan Beale 7-15, Joe Fallecker 1-15, J.R. Yough 3-15, Jesse Garing 1-0, Brandon Collier 1-(-1), Dylan Hipple 9-(-25). Bedford, Paul Detwiler 15-52, Marcus Shippey 14-61, Kyle Deneen 4-11, Tanner Ripple 2-(-2), Team 2-(-9).

Receiving: Karns City, Aaron Markle 1-24, Joe Fallecker 2-8, Brandon Collier 1-6, Ethan Beale 1-7. Bedford, Kyle Deneen 4-71, Kurt Crawford 1-10.