Based on their comparative seasons, Becahi looked like they would likely advance to the PIAA Class 3A semifinal against high-powered Archbishop Wood this weekend.

Somerset, their opponent, did enter Chambersburg High School with an overall 12-1 record, but they tangled with mostly Class A and AA teams, while Becahi also posted 12 wins and appeared primed to advance as they marched through the ever-competitive East Penn Conference this fall. A lopsided victory could have been in the offing.

It did happen, however, Becahi was on the wrong side of the onslaught.

Somerset set the tone early in the game and never looked back as they rolled to a 30-0 rout of the Golden Hawks Saturday afternoon. Becahi finished with an overall 12-2 mark, the most wins since former head coach Bob Stem guided them to the state title in 1990. It marked their first loss since they dropped a 23-19 decision to Stroudsburg Oct. 17.

The Golden Hawks' Freddie Simmons fumbled the opening kickoff that eventually led to a Somerset score. From there, Becahi quarterback Julian Spigner was intercepted on his team's first series, and the Golden Hawks could never get into any offensive rhythm.

Becahi also lost leading rusher Michael McDaniel with an injury early in the game that further complicated their state. McDaniel had gained over 700 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in the Golden Hawks' playoff victories.

Somerset, which won its first state playoff game a week prior, was paced by running back Jake Heiple, who rambled through the Becahi defense for 196 yards on 19 carries. Heiple scored three touchdowns on the afternoon, a run of 13 yards helped Somerset to a 10-0 halftime lead.

On the other hand, Becahi, which had been averaging more than 400 yards of total offense, finished with just over 200 yards of total offense and committed four turnovers.

Head coach Joe Heinrich quickly realized his club would have an uphill battle.

"Michael (McDaniel) has been a big part of our offense, but we have other guys here who can be as effective," said Heinrich. "We just couldn't get going offensively and we shot ourselves in the foot too many times. We didn't stay on our blocks and we couldn't sustain anything all afternoon.

"They played with emotion and a chip on their shoulder and we didn't. They came right at us from the start and never gave up. We have had trouble with our composure all season long and that's something we have to work on."

However, the Golden Hawks will look to continue to build a foundation after they have posted 20 victories in the past two seasons after having just four wins in the previous two campaigns. The Golden Hawks will enter the 2015 season as a contender and not a pretender.

"This group of seniors helped bring our program to the next level," added Henrich. "We need to work on our discipline and composure for next season. But we'll have players back who will be anxious to get back out there."