LISBON FALLS – Lisbon High School’s football team won’t physically wow you. The Greyhounds just nip at your heels and mentally drain you. And at playoff time, that means they eventually eliminate you.

Dan Willis pounded out a pair of second-half touchdowns, and Lisbon set aside a forgettable first half to oust Jay, 14-8, in an intense Western Class C semifinal Saturday at Thompson Field.

Limited to four net rushing yards in the first two quarters, Lisbon (10-0) caused enough commotion with counters by Ryan Giusto and a scramble by Mike Unterkoefler to create space for Willis.

The 5-foot-11, 160-pound tailback pounded out 15 carries for 63 yards after intermission, barreling in from a yard out with 2:18 remaining in the third quarter and spinning 3 yards into the end zone with 4:12 to go in the fourth.

No. 1 Lisbon won its 19th straight game and will shoot for the school’s third regional title in four years at home Saturday against Livermore Falls. Kickoff time is 12:30 p.m.

“We’re not a strong, physical team, and we know we’re not always going to be successful running the ball,” said Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan. “Sometimes we try to stretch the game out until we find a seam.”

Jay (5-5) successfully asserted its size advantage at the line of scrimmage early. Trevor McCourt (12 carries, 49 yards) helped the fourth-seeded Tigers move the chains, shorten the first half and hold the Greyhounds to a stalemate.

Giusto, Zach Bubar, Jesse Moan, Mark Stambach, Nate Blackwell and Ben Bourgoin led Lisbon’s resistance and left Jay no daylight in the second half. The Tigers tried to run only nine times after intermission.

Zane Armandi broke up the shutout with a leaping catch of Isaac LeBlanc’s desperation pass for a 42-yard TD with 30.9 seconds remaining. LeBlanc also located Ryan Bourassa for the two-point conversion, but Blackwell covered the ensuing onside kick for the Greyhounds.

“The offense gets a lot of motivation from the defense. We live and die by our defense,” said Bourgoin, a senior defensive back.

Bourgoin intercepted LeBlanc at the goal line and returned it to midfield, stopping a Jay scoring threat with 2:45 remaining. Three plays earlier, Armandi found Griffin Couture for 46 yards on a flanker option toss.

Jay held Lisbon to nine first downs and 168 total yards, living up to its reputation as a team that gave everyone fits. In addition to two defeats at Lisbon, the Tigers led with less than a minute to play in losses to Boothbay and Dirigo. They also were tied with Livermore Falls until the late stages last week.

“My kids played their hearts out,” said Jay coach Mark Bonnevie. “We had a good game plan. The kids did everything we asked them to do, and they just about did it to perfection.”

The Greyhounds gained control on the strength of two plays in the third quarter.

After Jay marched near the 50 to open the half, the Tigers were whistled for a holding penalty that stopped them in their tracks. Shane Lefebvre’s windblown punt traveled only 17 yards, leaving Lisbon in business at its own 42.

Mike Holland lassoed Willis for two straight 1-yard gains to set up third-and-8. With his receivers blanketed, Lisbon QB Mike Unterkoefler tucked and ran for 13 yards.

“If we made the stop in that situation,” said Bonnevie, “who knows what might have happened?”

Unterkoefler later converted fourth-and-5 with a 9-yard strike to Joe Stevens. Giusto gained 9 and 3 yards up the middle on the next two carries to set up Willis’ first scoring plunge.

“The line started getting the push they needed,” Willis said. “We didn’t let the first half keep us down.”

Field position remained Jay’s enemy on its next drive, with an intentional grounding call transforming third-and-long into fourth-and-forever. Lisbon fielded another short punt at the Jay 36.

Willis picked up 21 yards off right tackle on first down. He later churned out 3 yards on fourth-and-1 from the 6, immediately followed by an identical surge for the score.

After the anxious aerial moments that followed, all eyes turned to a rematch with Livermore Falls. The Greyhounds gained a hard-fought, 12-7 road win in Week 1.