As the postgame celebration began, what seemed a common sight unfolded as a group of Staley lineman concealed a large orange cooler.

For once, this ice bath wasn’t meant for coach Fred Bouchard. Instead, the Falcons doused their senior quarterback.

In the minutes after Trent Hosick ran out the clock on Staley’s 31-21 Missouri Class 5, District 8 championship win over visiting Park Hill South, Hosick, who has committed to Missouri, was introduced first as the state’s male Wendy’s High School Heisman honoree.

Then another surprise: He would be one of 12 finalists — whittled from the 102 state winners (plus the District of Columbia)and more than 45,000 nominees nationally — invited to New York during Heisman Trophy weekend in December.

“I had no idea,” said a surprised Hosick, who thought the finalists would be announced Nov. 20.

And of course, he didn’t even see the dousing coming.

“I’ve always seen my coaches complain about how cold it was,” Hosick said. “Now I know why.”

The pre-scheduled honor was made all the better because the defending state champion Falcons, 9-2, won behind Hosick’s three-touchdown rushing performance.

His 1-yard dive over the pile midway through the third quarter gave Staley a 24-14 lead it would extend to 17 points in the fourth when Hosick scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown. He also ran for a 3-yard score in the second in a game that was tied at 14 shortly before halftime.

In all, Hosick ran for 127 yards 24 rushes, and went 13 of 22 for 135 yards passing.

“He deserves every single accolade,” Bouchard said. “It gives me hope about how we’re developing and how we’re growing. This is a good win for us.”

And now they will host a rematch with Fort Osage, which the Falcons beat 31-28 Sept. 28, in the Class 5 quarterfinals on Saturday.

“They’ve got a superman playing quarterback,” Park Hill South coach Mark Simcox said. “Because of what they have personnel-wise, it’s going to be hard for anyone to stop them, I don’t care who it is.”