ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. - The Butler County Grizzlies claimed their first national title in program history with a 21-14 come-from-behind victory over No. 1 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

No. 2 Butler County rallied from a 14-point early deficit to defeat the top-ranked Norsemen, who turned the ball over eight times - including six second-half turnovers.

NEO had been ranked No. 1 in the nation all season long, but Butler's victory ended the Norsemen's 23-game winning streak. The Grizzly win brought the national championship to Kansas for the first time since 1971, when Fort Scott won the title.

The Norsemen took a 14-0 lead just less than halfway through the first quarter. NEO scored on its first play from scrimmage after Butler shanked a punt on its opening possession. Norsemen fullback Barry Hughes took a pitch and ran 42 yards for the game's first score - just 2:05 into the contest.

The Grizzlies turned the ball over on a Mike Nardone interception on the next possession at the NEO 24-yard line. The Norsemen put together a nine-play drive that resulted in a 1-yard plunge over the goal line by Hughes.

Butler would get the offense going after that. After a 19-yard return by Jeff Sanders to the NEO 33, the Grizzlies would get on the board on the first play in the second quarter - a 5-yard scoring pass to fullback Gee Wright from Nardone.

In the third quarter, Grizzly linebacker Jim Nance picked off an option pass and returned the ball to the Butler 42-yard line. Five plays later, Nardone found Dennis "Tex" Allen on a post pattern for a 42-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14-14.

Just over three minutes later, Butler took the lead for good. Following Allen's touchdown, NEO fumbled the kickoff on their own 34-yard line and Butler defensive lineman Bryan Watson was there to recover.

"Tex" Allen made a key catch near the sidelines for 10 yards that put the Grizzlies at the NEO 9-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Dennis "Lobo" Allen would score from the two-yard line with just 28 seconds left in the third to put Butler up 21-14.

NEO got the ball back with six minutes to go and started from its own 20-yard line. The Norsemen worked the ball down to the Butler 13-yard line. After an unsportsmanlike conduct call against NEO moved the ball back to the 25, Butler's Sanders picked off a Tod Weder pass, but fumbled the ball back to NEO when he was hit on the return.

Norsemen tight end Steve Edwards pounced on the football and NEO was still within striking distance with the ball on Butler's 15-yard line.

On the very next play, Grizzly defensive back A.C. Poynter sealed the victory with another interception. With only 58 seconds remaining and the Norsemen out of timeouts, Butler County was on its way to securing its first national football championship