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HERSHEY — Irony is a funny thing.

For just the second time since a Week 9 contest with the Meadville Bulldogs, the General McLane Lancers are favored to win today.

In other words, they were underdogs right up until the state finals. Now they are the No. 1 ranked Class AAA team.

“It’s pretty funny, because we started out at the beginning of the playoffs ranked third in the district, and after five weeks, now we’re No. 1 in the state,” head coach Jim Wells said earlier in the week. “Usually you look at those polls and you see seven WPIAL teams, and now you see us at the top. There’s two teams left, so I guess they must be 1 and 2.”

The Lancers (12-2) face the Pottsville Crimson Tide (13-2) of District 11 at 7 p.m. this evening.

The Tide are in the state finals for just the second time in school history. This trip is the first for McLane.

Following a tough 27-21 loss to Franklin Regional in last season’s West final, McLane was forced to watch the final from home, as Pottsville suffered a 23-13 defeat.

The Crimson Tide vowed to return, and made good on that promise.

McLane also set its sights on the next step, and they too have been successful.

Today, however, only one team can get the gold.

“It’s a great experience, and its one of those things that has been coming,” Wells said. “We got our first playoff win, then we had our first district title, then we beat a team in interdistricts, then we got to the Western Finals, and now we’re in the state championship.”

The final step has yet to be taken, but GM knows what it’s in for with Pottsville.