YORK – Jim Aylward says its not about the wins. He says its not about the potential championships. He says he just wants to hold onto the football season and his Mountain Valley Falcons as long as he possibly can.

“I just like hanging around the kids,” said Aylward. “I told them “I’m just going to try and steal weeks from you.'”

Well, Aylward got at least another week out of his Falcons thanks to Friday’s convincing 24-6 semifinal victory over York. The Falcons advance to the Western B final to face Gorham, a team Mountain Valley beat earlier in the season.

On a night where blustery winds made a passing game hard to come by, the Falcons managed quite nicely. Zach Fergola completed five passes on eight tries for 72 yards in the first half. The biggest pass coming late in the second quarter that hit Korey Staires in the end zone for a 12-0 lead.

“We were hoping the conditions would be better to throw,” said Aylward. “They’re so tough up the middle. Defensive end to defensive end, they’re tough. We felt we had to throw the ball.”

Fergola finished with 95 yards through the air on six completions. York (8-2) didn’t quite have the same success. The Wildcats, which beat Mountain Valley (9-1), 14-6, in the season opener, misfired on its first seven passes of the game. York ended up with just four completions for 57 yards in 21 attempts.

“We had opportunities in the first period,” said York coach Randy Small. “All the credit in the world to Mountain Valley. They just beat us up front. The kids played hard, and we lost.”

York could not take advantage of two Falcons fumbles and an interception in the first half. The Wildcats best scoring chance came off the interception. York got as close as the five but a sack and an incompletion nixed that threat. The Wildcats managed just 14 total yards in the first half and one first down.

“We’re a good defensive team,” said Aylward, whose club made life difficult on the York offensive line and quarterback with its penetration. “That’s what got us here. Hopefully, if we play defense like this, we’ll have another week to live.”

The Falcons took over after that stop and marched downfield for a 6-0 lead. Fergola finished off the drive with a 10-yard scamper around the left side, hurdling over defenders to reach the end zone with 5:59 left in the half.

A York fumble that was recovered by Patrick Knapp set up the second Falcons score. Faced with fourth-down-and-five from the five, Fergola found Staires in the end zone with 49 seconds left in the half.

“We threw early in the first period, and we had some drops,” said Small. “They scored through the air. They made the plays, and we didn’t. It’s as simple as that.”

The Falcons added to the lead with 1:37 left in the third when Fergola connected with Knapp on a 23-yard pass play. In the fourth, Aaron Arsenault, who led all rushers with 93 yards on 27 carries, scored from the 6 with 5:22 left.

York didn’t get on the board until 3:42 remained when Erik Rostad hit Christopher Knox on a 38-yard pass play.