One big play, one championship victory -- that's how it shook out for Clairton yesterday.

The explosive Bears offense, bottled up for almost all of the WPIAL Class A championship game against Monaca at Heinz Field, connected on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Troy Webb to Deontae Howard late in the third quarter to earn a 12-6 victory against the Indians (11-2).

The win gave Clairton (13-0) its second WPIAL title in three years and advanced the Bears to the PIAA quarterfinals against Windber (9-3) Friday at Johnstown High School.

The Bears came in having scored 534 points on the season, and 42 or more in two of their three playoff games. Monaca knew as much, and the Indians devised a masterful plan to limit the potent attack -- save for the one lapse, when Howard crept behind the secondary as the play broke down, pulled in the long ball and turned a tied game into a gold medal.

"We gave up one," Monaca coach Sam Cercone said. "We stressed all week that they have some great athletes, they have some great skill. We tried to limit it and we did, up until that point. But they got that one big play and, ultimately, it cost us."

What also cost Monaca was a tremendous spot-duty performance turned in by Webb (4 for 9, 111 yards passing, 103 yards rushing), who filled in for regular starting quarterback Andrew Currington.

Currington injured his toe in a semifinal against Rochester, tried to give it a go yesterday, but played just a few plays.

The teams traded touchdowns in the opening 3:13 of the game.

Monaca scored first on Zach Garber's 38 yard touchdown run, and the Bears fired right back, making it 6-6 when Malcolm Ford pulled in a 23-yard scoring pass from Webb.

Clairton had a 61-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown called back late in the first quarter because of a block in the back, but it was on defense where the Bears more than made up for it.

After Garber rushed for 79 yards in the first quarter, and pushed that total up to 97 yards at halftime, Clairton clamped down on him, and he finished with 123 yards on 21 carries.

The Indians got the ball back with 1:59 left on the Clairton 37. But after two penalties and a few incomplete passes, Monaca's dreams were dashed.

"We just wanted to control the football for the last two minutes," Cercone said.

"We wanted to drive the ball down and obviously score a touchdown. But when you go backward, you can't overcome that adversity."