STROUDSBURG — Brandt Wines and William Breuer have been making plays together since they were little kids.

Friday night, they made one they’ll never forget.

Wines connected with his longtime friend for a 25-yard touchdown with 41.8 seconds remaining, lifting Pleasant Valley to a thrilling 40-36 victory over Stroudsburg and its second consecutive Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Monroe Division championship.

The Bears (6-4) closed the regular season with four straight wins, overcoming a furious fourth-quarter comeback by the Mounties to claim the division title outright.

“Me and William have been best friends since we were, I think, 6 years old,” Wines said. “That’s my guy. We have unbelievable trust in each other. We know we’re going to be there for each other and back each other up.”

That trust was tested in the closing minutes.

Pleasant Valley appeared in control after Wines found Breuer for a 24-yard touchdown that extended the Bears’ lead to 33-21 with 7:16 remaining.

But Stroudsburg quarterback Jack Mitchell answered with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cassese. The Mounties then recovered a muffed kickoff, and Mitchell connected with Andres Batista for a 45-yard score before finding Keegan Munch for the two-point conversion.

In just 43 seconds, Pleasant Valley’s 12-point advantage had become a 36-33 deficit with 5:31 left.

But Wines wasn’t ready to let the championship slip away.

“They were a little dejected, and Brandt came over and said, ‘Nope, we got plenty of time. We’re gonna go do it,’ ” Pleasant Valley coach Blaec Saeger said. “They rallied behind him, and when the moment was the biggest, he played his best.”

Starting at their own 33, the Bears marched 67 yards in 11 plays. Sean Cobb Jr. delivered a crucial 7-yard run on fourth-and-6 from the Stroudsburg 42 to keep the drive alive.

Then came the play Wines and Breuer had practiced all week.

“When the play was called, I got a big smile on my face,” Wines said. “I knew it was coming. I saw the safety come down a little bit, and I knew William’s a big guy. I knew I could put it up and he’d go get it.

“That’s all I did. Trusted my receivers, trusted my line. They made a play.”

Breuer hauled in the 25-yard touchdown, and Ethan Duran’s extra point put Pleasant Valley ahead 40-36.

But the drama wasn’t over.

Stroudsburg moved from its own 33 to the Pleasant Valley 43, setting up one final play with 2.4 seconds remaining.

Pleasant Valley defensive coordinator Brian Miller had a simple instruction for Chris Ward: Go get the quarterback.

Ward brought pressure on Mitchell, forcing him to scramble as time expired without getting off a final pass.

It was a fitting finish for Ward, who had already rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries.

The Bears’ defense also came up with two crucial takeaways from Maximus Vasquez, who recovered a fumble late in the first half and intercepted Mitchell in the fourth quarter.

For Saeger, the response to Stroudsburg’s late rally reflected the growth of a team that had endured several close losses earlier in the season.

“Even when we muffed the kickoff, nobody pointed fingers,” Saeger said. “It was, ‘All right, next. Let’s go play defense.’ Then they scored, and it was, ‘Let’s go play offense.’ They’re very even-keel.”

The Bears had been tested throughout the night.

Ward opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run, but Mitchell found Josh Ivers-Green for a 12-yard score to give Stroudsburg a 7-6 lead after one quarter.

Cobb’s 33-yard touchdown run and Ward’s two-point conversion put Pleasant Valley back in front before Mitchell connected with Munch for a 22-yard score to tie the game at 14.

Vasquez’s fumble recovery late in the half set up Ward’s 10-yard touchdown run, giving the Bears a 21-14 halftime advantage.

The teams traded scores again in the third quarter. Mitchell hit Batista for a 23-yard touchdown to tie it at 21, but Ward broke loose for a 62-yard score just 44 seconds later.

Pleasant Valley led 27-21 entering the fourth quarter before Vasquez’s interception helped set up the first Wines-to-Breuer touchdown.

The Bears finished with 421 yards of offense, including 350 rushing. Cobb led the way with 169 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, while Jacob George added 68 yards on 17 attempts.

Wines completed four of five passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns, both to Breuer, who finished with two catches for 49 yards.

For Breuer, the championship carried special significance.

Two years earlier, Pleasant Valley had traveled to Stroudsburg, built a 21-0 lead and watched it disappear in a loss that completed a winless season.

“Being a part of this game means everything to me,” Breuer said. “Two years ago, we came here, we had a 21-0 lead and ended up losing that game. That gave us our 10th loss.

“And to come back here, back-to-back years, win the championship, it means the world to everybody — our team, this coaching staff. It’s a great feeling.”

The winning connection with Wines made it even sweeter.

“He’s been my quarterback since peewee, since I was 5 years old,” Breuer said. “We’ve been best friends. That’s my brother. I love him dearly, and he delivered me two amazing balls. I caught both of them for touchdowns.”

The Bears’ four-game winning streak was particularly satisfying after four narrow defeats earlier in the season.

“I really think those games galvanized this group and taught us how to win a little bit in some close games,” Saeger said. “And now we pulled out two in a row. Crazy ones.”

For a team that spent much of the season learning how to finish, Friday provided the ultimate reward.

Another championship — and a finish Wines, Breuer and the Bears won’t soon forget.

LOOKING AHEAD ... With the win and Pocono Mountain West’s win over PM East, Pleasant Valley earned a shot to host the Cardinals in the District 11 Class 5A semifinals next week.

Pleasant Vy. 40, Stroudsburg 36

Pleasant Vy. 6 15 6 13 - 40

Stroudsburg 7 7 7 15 - 36

PV - Ward 7 run (kick failed)

S - Ivers-Green 12 pass from Mitchell (Fuller kick)

PV - Cobb Jr. 33 run (Ward run)

S - Munch 22 pass from Mitchell (Fuller kick)

PV - Ward 10 run (Duran kick)

S - Batista 23 pass from Mitchell (Fuller kick)

PV - Ward 62 run (kick blocked)

PV - Breuer 24 pass from Wines (pass failed)

S - Cassese 32 pass from Mitchell (Fuller kick)

S - Batista 45 pass from Mitchell (Mitchell pass to Munch)

PV - Breuer 25 pass from Wines (Duran kick)