HERSHEY - As an athlete, Jerry Marks was special.
He won two state wrestling championships, and was the state's all-time rushing leader in football when he graduated.
Later, at Bloomsburg University, he carried the football 59 times in one game.
But it's doubtful Marks ever felt as elated as an athlete as he did as a coach Friday, when all three of his wrestlers in the PIAA Class AA state semifinals won to reach the finals, finishing a 6-0 day at the tournament.
All three of the semifinal wins by Todd Lane, Kent Lane and Marks' son, Blake, seemed more dramatic. Todd Lane overcame a 5-0 deficit and beat Bethlehem Catholic's Joey Gould 10-8 when he was awarded a penalty point with 15 seconds left because Gould jumped the whistle.
Then Kent Lane, assistant coach Kent Lane's son, scored a pin over South Park's Jake Wentzel without benefit of a takedown.
Finally, Blake Marks overcame an 8-3 deficit to pin Calvary Christian's Richie Cerebe with a takedown and headlock in the third period.
"You know, I was just saying to Mitch (Rupert, of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette), this is like a fairy tale," Coach Marks said. "It's a dream come true. But these guys work so hard. To bring three guys to the state tournament and get three guys in the finals, it's just unimaginable.
"Everything has to go your way for that to happen, and it seemed like everything went our way today.
"Three years ago, we were 3-18. Things were tough in our program. Then we had one guy (Brian Watkins) get to states and that started kids believing and getting confidence in themselves."
Marks also stressed that the team's success is far from a one-man show.
"Kent (Sr.) takes these guys all over the place for tournaments in the summertime," he said. "He does that and I stay at home and do the weight room. That's how we split it. Now we've got Nate (assistant Nate Shirk) too and he's been a big plus."
No matter what happens in today's final, it's been a remarkable turnaround, and one which now looks like it could last for some time, with some good junior high and elementary kids on the horizon.