Lewisburg enjoyed a breakthrough season last year, going from 3-7 to 9-3 while earning the program's first district playoff win. It was a stunning turnaround for a program that went 10-60 the previous seven seasons, but after several seniors graduated from that team, some skeptics thought it might be a one-year wonder.

The incoming senior class had other ideas.

Instead of looking at 2008 as the end-all achievement for a former laughingstock, the returning seniors looked at as simply a beginning. Refusing to become complacent, those seniors pushed themselves and the underclassmen through the offseason, convinced 2009 could be the best year yet.

They were right.

Saturday, Lewisburg will play in its first District 4 Class AA championship when it hosts Loyalsock at Bucknell University's Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium. The Dragons (11-1) already have won the most games in program history and this senior class, which includes about half the team's starters, will go down as one of the most decorated classes in program history regardless of what happens in that game.

"This senior group has been a key core group to what we've done the last two years and they've put together a pretty impressive record," Lewisburg coach Todd Tilford said. "Even up to this point, they've set the bar really high for the future of Lewisburg football and they've accomplished a lot."

Over the last two seasons, those seniors have helped Lewisburg go 20-4 and win three district playoff games. That's an impressive achievement for a team whose best record from 2001-2006 was 3-7 and who had two or fewer wins five times during that span.

"When I think about my high school experience it's probably at the top of the list of my greatest accomplishments when it comes to high school," said senior left guard/linebacker Joe Affsprung. "Going into my high school career there were really no expectations for the team and we've kind of helped make everyone see that things are different now. Guys like Cody (Raup), Jay (Mathias), Joe (Moralez) and all the seniors on the team have really helped make this a turning point for Lewisburg football and I'm extremely proud of it."

The evolution of Lewisburg going from district joke to district elite started last year when the Dragons reached the district semifinals, opened 7-0 and established themselves as a dominant defensive team. Nine defensive starters, mostly seniors, returned this season and all of them proved instrumental to sparking a dedicated offseason.

Some often say championships are won by the amount of work put into the offseason and Lewisburg is a testament to that. Whether in the weight room, at camps or on their own, players from all grades came together and put in the extra time, knowing 2009 could become an historic year.

"This year we had the most participation in the offseason that we've had in my four years here. As upperclassmen, if there wasn't an underclassman at a summer workout we were calling them and telling them they had to be there and were making sure everyone was working hard," said senior linebacker/tight end Cody Raup who is receiving Patriot League interest. "Last year set the tone for this year. We realized what we could do at this level of football and we wanted to take it farther."

Lewisburg has done that, winning eight consecutive games while defeating perennial title contenders Montoursville and Towanda in the postseason, as well as defending district and Heartland-III champions Mount Carmel and Bloomsburg in the regular season. The value of that offseason work spurred by the seniors has proven critical, especially late in the season. Mathias, the team's starting quarterback and a standout safety dislocated his shoulder in Week 5, opening the door for sophomore Cam Cassels who has flourished, throwing for 715 yards and eight touchdowns.

Mathias returned to safety but was lost for the season after a Week 8 win over Mount Carmel when he tore ligaments in his thumb. Junior Robbie Gaines took Mathias' place and made sure Lewisburg continued playing stifling defense. Gaines suffered a groin injury last week at Towanda, but sophomore Mark Hall entered and played like a seasoned starter, making three pass break-ups, including one huge one late in the game, as Lewisburg defeated the Black Knights, 19-14 and handed the top seed their first loss.

Lewisburg's seniors set the tone and the underclassmen have followed their lead, delivering clutch performances throughout the year while signaling that not only is this a true team, but it also is a program built to last.

"It's exciting for us as seniors and everything, but without the juniors and sophomores and freshmen we wouldn't be here because we couldn't do it without them," Raup said. "It's cool that the seniors are the ones that are the leaders in getting them there, but without them there is no possible way we could do it."

Whatever happens Saturday, or for the rest of the season, the seniors have left an indelible mark in program history. Their most lasting legacy, however, could unveil itself for years to come. They set the bar high with their work ethic and that rubbed off on the underclassmen who likely will continue passing that down to the younger players as they grow more experienced.

Thus a winning cycle has been created.

"Coming into it as freshmen we definitely didn't rule out something like this," Affsprung said. "When I came in our sights were more set on taking it one step at a time to get to that level, but we never ruled out the possibility of Lewisburg becoming a powerful football team. We went one step at a time and we got to a high level."

Thanks to seniors like Affsprung, Lewisburg might just stay at that level.