During the euphoric postgame celebration for the Mt. Lebanon boys' lacrosse team on the field at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium Friday evening, a Blue Devils' reveler ran past coach Kee Joe Song while he was answering questions from a group of reporters.

"This is the greatest lacrosse coach in Western Pennsylvania history," the fan, later identified as a former Mt. Lebanon player, shouted. "Put that in your paper!"

Song humbly and sheepishly tried to ignore that compliment. He was more interested in heaping the praise on his players -- particularly a senior class that will graduate having won the recognized Western Pennsylvania championship during each of their four seasons.

If you want to talk superlatives, how about the Mt. Lebanon Class of 2009 as the greatest boys' lacrosse class in Western Pennsylvania history?

"You talk about tradition, it has nothing to do with a coach or a school," Song said. "It's tradition passed down from the players to the next group of players.

"The seniors have to be feeling pretty good right now. Eight of them stuck with it all the way through. We were hard on them. We ask a lot out of the kids. They could have worn down. It wears on the parents. We have to find a way to balance school and lacrosse. To go through it for four years isn't easy, so it's nice to see them get rewarded.

"We're all young, aggressive coaches. We don't mind putting in the extra time. They're just a special group of guys. They are."

Mt. Lebanon won the WPSLA championships the previous three seasons, including the final one last year, and the Blue Devils were crowned the first WPIAL Division I boys' lacrosse champions when they beat Shady Side Academy, 3-2, in a thrilling title game that went down to the final second.

Mt. Lebanon defeated Hershey, 9-8, Tuesday in a first-round PIAA playoff game. The Blue Devils will play Saturday at 4 p.m. at State College against Manheim Township, a 9-8 winner against North Allegheny.

But no matter what the PIAA tournament result, to be crowned the first WPIAL champion -- the organization is in its first season of sponsoring the sport -- is something Mt. Lebanon will always hold.

"It's definitely special," said senior midfielder Chris White, who will play at Princeton. "It's most special just because it's my senior year and everyone wants their dream season to be their senior year. To experience it with the magnitude of a WPIAL title this year and all the publicity and everything around it, it's a really special feeling for the team."

"We'll always be the first [WPIAL champion], which is nice to know," junior goaltender William Round said.

It didn't come easy. The Blue Devils were pushed to double overtime in a 6-5 win against Seneca Valley in the semifinals. The final was a low-scoring contest, and Shade Side Academy was pressing for the tying goal in the final minutes, including playing with a man advantage after a Mt. Lebanon penalty during the final two minutes.

"I almost don't even feel that good [physically]," Song said after the game ended and the medals and trophies were presented. "My heart's still going hysterically. I feel bad; I feel like I've been beat up. But it's worth it.

"We told the players, 'The pressure's off. There sort of was pressure on us to win the first WPIAL title this year after having won [the WPSLA] three years in a row. Take that pressure off. Now it's just fun. Don't sweat anything in the state playoffs. Just have fun with it. You deserve it.' "