For Chugiak, Friday felt like finding a $20 bill you didn't know you lost, mom granting permission to bag school to pursue a day of Netflix binging and then having her deliver your favorite cookies right to the couch.
For Dimond, it felt like oversleeping on an important day, struggling to locate your phone and then finding your car battery dead – but, hey, your girlfriend doesn't need a ride to school because she just texted you she's no longer your girlfriend.
Chugiak 51, Dimond 16.
And it was not remotely that close – Dimond's touchdowns came in garbage time.
The first of the First National Bowl large-school state football semifinal games was a blowout from jump Friday night at West High, where the Mustangs owned a 27-0 first-quarter lead before the Lynx knew what steamrolled them.
So overwhelming was Chugiak (7-3) that its lead was 51-0 less than halfway into the third quarter, and coach Roger Spackman pulled most of his starters later in the quarter. The Lynx (6-4) suffered the indignity of a running clock prompted by the mercy rule that kicks in when a team owns a lead of 35 points or more after three quarters.
"That's what a perfect football game feels like,'' Chugiak quarterback Ben Stewart said after he rushed for four touchdowns and sat out the fourth quarter.
The Mustangs await the winner of Saturday afternoon's semifinal between East and West. Next week will mark the seventh straight season the championship game is an all-Anchorage final and the eighth consecutive year the state champion will come from the Anchorage-based Cook Inlet Conference.
Chugiak has not won a state title since 1996 -- so long, Stewart cracked as he pointed to Mustangs offensive coordinator Ryan Landers, "I think this old guy won it.''
That Friday's game proved so lopsided was stunning, given Dimond beat visiting Chugiak 40-32 in the regular season.
But everything turned Chugiak's way behind a defense that snatched four first-half turnovers – fumble recoveries by Cody Bailey and Derryk Snell, interceptions from Camden Lerch and Karletty Faamatuainu – and gifted the offense with ridiculously good field position.
Six of Chugiak's first seven possessions began in Dimond territory, and the lone one that began in Chugiak territory was on its 45. Stewart and company parlayed that into three of Stewart's four rushing touchdowns, another from battle-carrier Kenney Lee (nine carries, 96 yards), one rushing TD from Faamatuainu and a 22-yard field goal from Jacob Morey.
As if that onslaught was not daunting enough for Dimond, the Lynx committed eight first-half penalties and had a punt hit their own player in the backfield. Also, Chugiak kicker Sean Silk did not permit the Lynx good field position – Silk's first six kickoffs yielded three touchbacks, two other kicks were fielded at the 1-yard line and another at the 4-yard line.
"Turnovers were a big key,'' said Dimond quarterback Kyle Henrickson. "Turnovers, and the momentum from it, and the field position they had.
"It wasn't lack of coaching. It was lack of player execution. Give Chugiak credit. They came to play tonight.''
While Henrickson torched the Mustangs for 272 passing yards and two touchdowns in the regular-season meeting, Chugiak did not let him get untracked Friday. The Mustangs brought consistent pressure. Bryant White, who scored a second-half touchdown as a running back, sacked Henrickson on consecutive plays deep in Chugiak territory just before halftime.
Chugiak flourished, as it did last week in a 40-20 quarterfinal throttling of Bartlett. Stewart, who missed a couple of regular-season games with a concussion he suffered against Dimond, is back in control of the Mustangs' option attack. Lee's bum ankle appears sturdy. And Snell, who doubles as a dangerous receiver, caught three passes for 47 yards.
"And my offensive line just balled out,'' Stewart said. "Best game of the year for them. Had all kinds of time.''
Spackman said his team is playing its best at the most critical time of the season.
"That's two weeks in a row,'' he said. "I'm just so proud of these kids. Everyone is doing their job and they're working together.''
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Dimond 0 0 8 8 -- 16
Chugiak 27 10 14 0 -- 51
First Quarter
Chugiak – Stewart 11 run (Morey kick), 9:56.
Chugiak – Stewart 3 run (Morey kick), 6:38.
Chugiak – Faamatuainu 6 run (kick blocked), 1:08.
Chugiak – Lee 30 run (Morey kick), 28.5.
Second Quarter
Chugiak – Stewart 4 run (Morey kick), 11:24.
Chugiak – 22 FG Morey, 8:06.
Third Quarter
Chugiak – Stewart 30 run (Morey kick), 9:51.
Chugiak – White 12 run (Morey kick), 7:16.
Dimond – Aniu'u 15 pass from Henrickson (Pilcher pass from Henrickson), 2:49.
Fourth Quarter
Dimond – Zavala 18 pass from Henrickson (Tanuvasa pass from Henrickson), 8:00.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Dimond: Tanuvasa 15-83, Zavala 1-10, Pilcher 1-2, Mathies 1-1, Hendrickson 5-(-11). Chugiak: Lee 9-96, Faamatuainu 8-56, Stewart 10-51, White 10-50, Cormier 4-28, Jones 2-26, Johnson 5-11, Harr 1-1..
PASSING – Dimond: Henrickson 14-35-2--182. Chugiak: Stewart 6-11-0—89, Harr 0-1-0--0.
RECEIVING – Dimond: Tufaga 5-59, Zavala 4-79, Tanuvasa 2-9, Ainu'u 1-15, Pilcher 1-13, Maisey 1-7. Chugiak: Snell 3-47, White 2-21, Kindred 1-21.