COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Augusta Spartans, led by a bunch of home-grown local guys with big-time dreams, trekked across the state of Georgia as underdogs Saturday.

They're returning home to Augusta today as champions of the World Indoor Football League, having earned the title of "the best in the business," as they like to call themselves.

Quarterback Mike Rathe rolled to his right and hit Marvin Stone for a 3-yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds left to give the Spartans a thrilling 63-60 victory over the host Columbus Lions in World Indoor Bowl I on Saturday night at the Columbus Civic Center.

The Spartans beat the regular-season champion Lions in Columbus for the first time this season, and they did it in front of 3,529 stunned fans.

Stone, the Josey product who already had been named the league's best player, was chosen as the game's MVP with five touchdowns, including the game-winner. He beat out Rathe, who threw for 261 yards and eight touchdowns, for the award - and the three-day trip to Daytona Beach that comes with it.

"This might be the best day of my life in sports," said Stone, who made up for two costly fumbles with his late heroics. "I'm speechless. It just doesn't get any better."

The game delivered on all the things the four-team league claims its popularity is based on - seven lead changes, highlight-reel performances from both sides, fast-paced action, 18 touchdowns and one champion.

That was the Spartans, who had to come from behind after a late 56-47 lead turned into a 60-56 deficit after consecutive Columbus touchdowns in the final five minutes.

Augusta (10-6) took over with 2:42 left and went 30 yards in eight plays - including a critical Rathe-to-Isaac West 14-yard catch on fourth-and-10 to keep the drive alive.

Then it was Stone's turn to make up for his two fumbled turnovers earlier in the game, each of which led to Columbus touchdowns.

"I just wanted to come back and make a play, to make up for my mistake," said Stone, who had 94 yards receiving and a 52-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first half."My teammates stayed behind me, and I was not going to let us lose this game."

Columbus (10-5) hastily drove down to Augusta's 14-yard line with four seconds left, but quarterback Joey Conrad was intercepted by Chip Dykes to end the game.

"We knew it was going to be like this. We knew it would be an uphill battle, and I'm just so proud right now," Spartans coach Bubba Diggs said, fighting back tears. "I really can't say enough. We went through so much together."

Diggs, a member of the Clemson Tigers' 1981 national championship team, had said all season he thought the Spartans had the talent and chemistry to win the WIFL championship. He was proved right.

Rathe (13-for-19), the former University of South Carolina quarterback, was also a big reason for Augusta's success this season.

He played for Augusta last year, when the team didn't make the American Indoor Football League playoffs, and rejoined the squad midway through this season.

Conrad threw for 218 yards and seven touchdowns, including four to Jarwarski Pollock. Pollock's 8-yard scoring snag with 3:03 left was the go-ahead touchdown.

The Lions dominated time of possession (39:59-20:01) and led 41-30 early in the third quarter.

But Augusta's defense, led by Kijana Thomas (two interceptions), stopped Columbus on four second-half possessions.

North Augusta product Anthony Young had three touchdown receptions for the Spartans, and Michael Flint caught one.

Reach Steve Sanders at (706) 823-3216 or steven.l.sanders@augustachronicle.com.

World Indoor Bowl I

SPARTANS 63, LIONS 60

IN COLUMBUS, GA.

AUGUSTA 15 15 13 20 - 63

COLUMBUS 13 21 13 13 - 60

FIRST QUARTER

COL-EUGENE GOODMAN 1 RUN (KICK BLOCKED), 9:19

AUG-MARVIN STONE 50 KICKOFF RETURN (SHON ROWSER KICK), 8:26

AUG-STONE 22 PASS FROM RATHE (ROWSER KICK), 4:22

AUG-ROWSER UNO, 4:22

COL-SLYE JORDAN 4 PASS FROM JOEY CONRAD (WES WILSON KICK), 0:00

SECOND QUARTER

AUG-ANTHONY YOUNG 7 PASS FROM RATHE (ROWSER KICK), 11:20

AUG-ROWSER UNO, 11:20

COL-JAWARS POLLOCK 15 PASS FROM CONRAD (WILSON KICK), 6:50

AUG-YOUNG 3 PASS FROM RATHE (ROWSER KICK), 1:38

COL-POLLOCK 24 PASS FROM CONRAD (WILSON KICK), 0:54

COL-JORDAN 9 PASS FROM CONRAD (WILSON KICK), 0:15

THIRD QUARTER

COL-POLLOCK 32 PASS FROM CONRAD (WILSON KICK), 13:36

AUG-STONE 21 PASS FROM RATHE (KICK FAILED), 11:14

AUG-STONE 10 PASS FROM RATHE (ROWSER KICK), 5:37

COL-JUVAL WINSTON 23 PASS FROM CONRAD (KICK FAILED), 1:43

FOURTH QUARTER

AUG-YOUNG 17 PASS FROM RATHE (KICK FAILED), 14:51

AUG-MICHAEL FLINT 29 PASS FROM RATHE (ROWSER KICK), 8:53

COL-DAMIAN DANIELS 50 INTERCEPTION RETURN (WILSON KICK), 5:16

COL-POLLOCK 8 PASS FROM CONRAD (PASS FAILED), 3:03

AUG-STONE 3 PASS FROM RATHE (ROWSER KICK), 0:18

AUG COL

FIRST DOWNS 19 19

RUSHES-YARDS 8-14 13-32

PASSING YARDS 261 218

COMP.-ATT.-INT. 19-31-2 20-35-3

FUMBLES-LOST 2-2 1-1

PENALTIES-YARDS 7-77 9-89

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-AUGUSTA: WILLIE BUTLER 7-14, KAJANA THOMAS 1-0. COLUMBUS: GOODMAN 11-32, CONRAD 2-0.

PASSING-AUGUSTA: RATHE 19-31-2 261, CONRAD 20-35-3 218.

RECEIVING-AUGUSTA: STONE 7-94, YOUNG 6-57, FLINT 4-55, ISSAC WEST 2-55. COLUMBUS: POLLOCK 9-116, JORDAN 8-69, WINSTON 2-22, GOODMAN 1-11.