Josh Gontarek leaps high to snare the winning touchdown pass as time expired. David Pennock

SHEPHERDSTOWN — “Wild and Wonderful” is a name given to the state of West Virginia. Another nickname attached to the state for advertising purposes is “Almost Heaven.”

Shepherd University is a West Virginia symbol of higher learning, and in the last fortnight it has been accomplishing some football wins in ways that have been “Wild and Wonderful” and “Almost Heaven” in how they were achieved.

The Rams outscored Findlay (Ohio), 38-31, in the opening round of the NCAA Division II regional playoffs, and then added even more football drama with a last-seconds, 38-34, win over Notre Dame College of Ohio to move briskly into the national quarterfinals tomorrow against Kutztown — the lone team to beat them in what has become a scintillating 12-1 season. Shepherd might have earned the title “The Kings of Ohio” since it also has a sharp-edged five-point win over Ohio Dominican in its dossier of this continuing season.

In eliminating Findlay, the champion of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, the Rams somehow survived a passing barrage of the Oilers that saw them strike for points time and again from long distance.

The Ohioans showed the nearly 5,000 bundled fans at Ram Stadium passing scores from 19, 78, 53, and 66 yards and ended the November chill with Matt Winzeler generating 398 yards through the air on 16 completions. There were non-scoring passing gains of 41 and 53 yards that led directly to TDs. Findlay gained only 80 yards along the ground.

Ronnie Brown gained a total of 71 yards in Shepherd’s winning match against Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon. David Pennock

Shepherd balanced its offensive sheets with 288 passing yards and 200 rushing yards. The Rams showed 25 first downs with Ty Hebron getting 124 ground yards and two scores with his 20 carries. Quarterback Tyson Bagent completed 22 of his 34 throws for 288 yards, two scores and two interceptions. Josh Gontarek had seven receptions for 77 yards.

It was a 31-yard scoring pass to Greg Leonard that gave the Rams a 38-28 lead, allowing them to survive a 51-yard field goal and a last-gasp onside kick they recovered to finally stymie the Oilers, who finished with an 8-4 overall record.

Ponce Deleon, Chrys Lane, Antonio Fox and John Chaney had been the most active Ram defenders in the game that featured five lead changes and three ties before being claimed out of the cold air by the Rams.

Shepherd underlined the adage “every second counts” when it fell behind, 34-31, with 28 seconds to play against once-beaten Notre Dame.

With Ronnie Brown returning the ensuing kickoff after Notre Dame scored with 28 seconds to play to his own 40, the Rams used a 32-yard completion to Ryan Beach to reach the Falcon 23 with just 10 seconds left. Bagent rolled away from pressure and found a leaping Gontarek in the promise land of the Notre Dame end zone for the game-deciding points.

Shepherd senior linebacker Kendall Duckworth with one if his three solo tackles against Notre Dame. David Pennock

The “Wild and Wonderful” scoreboard showed 1.9 seconds were left.

Scoreboard antics never quit during the offensive afternoon. Notre Dame scored first. Shepherd scored TDs with its only three possessions of the first half.

But the Rams’ 21-7 lead was completely melted away when the Falcons scored the game’s next 17 straight points.

Trailing, 24-21, Shepherd then managed a short-lived tie at 24-24 and lead of 31-27.

Notre Dame justifiably celebrated its 34-31 lead gained on a six-yard scoring pass with only 28 seconds to play.

But Shepherd would celebrate last and loudest after its whirlwind overhead dash to its season-saving touchdown.

Gontarek, Beach and Jonathan Moss had all caught seven of Bagent’s completions. The future legendary TD catch by Gontarek was his second score of the day.

Kutztown will be played in its Pennsylvania home at Andre Reed Stadium, site of an icy 41-34 Shepherd win in late November of 2010 when a Rams team later defeated Mercyhurst and won its way to the national semifinals against Delta State (Mississippi).

“Wild and Wonderful” it was last Saturday at mostly loud Ram Stadium. Shepherd had scored with 1.9 seconds to play. More playoff football awaited the team hailing from “Almost Heaven.”