Gil Thorp by Henry Barajas and Rachel Merrill for December 11, 2014

Champs at long last. Maybe Gil will finally have some job security now.

took too long to get to this point. If I had been blocking, there would have been no doubt.

56 years to get a state championship. Heck, Gil’s first football players are closing in on being octogenarians.

P4: Mushroom Cloud

The Larks win the pennant! The Larks win the pennant! Can it be Tru(e)? Speaking of Tru….

What we’re missing here is the backstory — the kid who dreamed of being Milford’s running back since the first grade, then lost his job to Jarrod when True took over at quarterback.

ONE IN A ROW!!! Guys, someone said Milford has never won the championship before. Was that correct? No flag on the play? The way their luck has gone before makes me wonder if the writer meant, “State Champs” or not.

In tomorrow’s strip, the state high school athletic association will announce an investigation into the eligibility of both True and—in a total surprise—Big John Pascoe.

OK, let’s be honest – how many of us would buy a “Milford Mudlarks – State Champs” t-shirt? I would…

Wait!!! There’s a flag on the play! Tru Standish is flagged for targeting! Oh well, there’s always next year.

They’re rioting at The Bucket….looks like another bonfire!Bubba from Detroit

I swear if they had lost after all the buildup, I was going to stop reading the strip I have followed for 30 years.

…time for Gil to retire on a high note?

Thank you Remember The Titans, My Bodyguard, Glee, Cuckoos Nest, Friday Night Lights and The Longest Yard for your inspiration towards this State Championship

@wesmorgan1 I would buy a state champs shirt

A Win! But is True okay? Looks like an injured shoulder. Find out tomorrow!

Congrats to the Mudlarks! When is championship apparel available through the site?

In all reality , there will be a Victory Parade starting at Railroad St. turning onto Main St to Oak St to the high school for a giant celebration . A moment of silence will be observed for the missing Bitsy Twill. Girls basketball practiice will follow .

Wow, it only took a couple of days to run that last-second play. Efficiency at its best

Congratulations Gil!! Nice Superman move Jarrod!

Woo Hoo!! Way to go Mudlarks!

And thank you, Neal, for this holiday gift of a storyline! True’s a senior next year, already looking ahead for a repeat …

Gimme an XXL on the champs T-shirt, please

Wait … was that a pig that just flew by my window?!?

We can all stop griping about no championship in the 21st Century. That being Saad (What happened to the new center?), will the team give Gil Pa a Gatorade bath or throw him in the showers?

Surely the Cubs are next.

Cue the Queen playlist. “We Are The Champions, My Friend….”

Thank the Lord! I could not deal with a penalty flag or a fumble or something. Looking forward to a wild celebration, sex, booze, marijuana, and a “lesson”

Also, I’m in for a t-shirt

I bet True doesn’t get up from the block. A career ending injury.

To re-quote ‘Bear’ the other day when he was quoting the cowardly lion:…….“shucks folks………I’m speechless!”

I’ll do a double X T shirt

Yes! I predicted it! If you go through the 15 iterations of me revising my predictions, this was definitely one of them.Not sure what the rules are in high school, but if this was a college game Jarrod(e) would be flagged for taunting by unnecessarily diving into the endzone, considering the Pius players are just walking around watching him score. 15 yards, touchdown doesn’t count, no time on the clock, game over.But since no flag was thrown, tomorrow in P1 Jarrod(e) is doing his touchdown dance, in P2 the camera pans in to Tru(e), still on the ground not moving. Then in P3, the ambulance arrives. Tears are shed.

“Boy it’s getting cold down here!” Satan

Well we know one thing, the Hoops team won’t do jack

Let’s see how Marty Moon spins this one.

Distraught look on face of player at far right foreshadows revelation of Tru(e)’s injury. : (

I really think they could have milked one more day out of Jarrod Hale’s (apparently the slowest running back in history) touchdown. Wrap up on Saturday, then on to basketball on Monday.

Can’t wait until tomorrow to see Marty(e) interview Gil(e) and ask him if this title doesn’t count because they used another trick play to win. Only two panels would not do for today’s Mopped Up Thorp.

You can almost hear the celebration in P2. “Showers! Showers! Showers!”

If only the Popes had won, I could have started a bidding war with all of you for my old Pius XI sweatshirt (yes, I have one). Here’s hoping the Lady Popes show up in basketball season somehow, some year.

Congrats Mudlarks! People in Hell are ice skating today.

Alas……….. 51 comments…….. and still no Bitsy!

“WILL TRADE STATE TITLE FOR BITSY!”

Don’t even bring that stuff in here with us Cubs fans.

The Cubs have fans?!?

So, who’s designing the T-shirts?

I think the TD is going to be called back for a penalty, look at panel three

Wait is there a flag back at the line of scrimmage. Will miracles never cease, I never thought I would see a Championship in my lifetime. YIPPEE !!!

This can’t be Tru. Milford wins!?! I’ve been reading this strip for dangerously close to 60 years and I never thought this would happen. Gil throws away his wedding ring to wear the state champ ring. Mimi divorces Gil and finally runs off with the pool boy. Gil and Tru walk off into the showers hand in hand.