WEST LAWN --- Although Lower Dauphin's first touchdown Friday evening against Wilson did not decide the Falcons' 17-14, District 3-AAAA semifinal win over Wilson, it sure did set the tone.
The top-seeded Bulldogs, the defending District 3-AAAA champs, entered Friday's semi at historic John Gurski Stadium having surrendered just six total points in wins over Manheim Twp. and Penn Manor.
But on Lower Dauphin's first possession, the visiting Falcons put Wilson on notice that it would be able to move the ball on the ground and get the push it needed up front.
It was the also the ultimate game of keep away.
Rob Klock's crew marched from its own 19-yard line and into the end zone early in the second quarter to take a 7-0 advantage. They did it with an 18-play, 81-yard drive that chewed up the final 8:34 of the first quarter and the first 1:50 of the second quarter.
And it was all done by a punishing offensive line that was able to open some huge running holes for quarterback Troy Spencer and tailback Dalton Yentsch.
The Falcons (12-1) were 4-for-4 on the third downs and the longest gain during the march was an 11-yard keeper by Spencer, who finished with 115 yards on 30 carries and two touchdowns. Yentsch, meanwhile, finished with 62 yards.
Spencer finished the drive with drive with a 7-yard run on third-and-goal.
"When that happened, I think we knew we could do this," Klock said.
"All week, we're telling the kids we can do this. We told them 'hey, they're good, we really have to execute.' And I think a lot of our kids played their best game tonight and that's why we were able to win this game."
And while Wilson tied the score at 14-14 with 4:44 remaining on Shane Dantzler's 7-yard touchdown, LD's earlier success served them well on the final drive that set up Joe Julius' 46-yard field goal.
"We all knew that Joe is quite a weapon and that we only had to get so far," Spencer said.
"It was all out and all in as our mantra states.
"The big guys up front produced and they gave me a big hole, they gave Dalton a hole, we keep chipping away, Joe kicks it and two plays later, we're going to the district championship."