RUMFORD – It’s simple, says Mountain Valley coach Jim Aylward. Today’s Western Class B championship (12:30 at Hosmer Field) against Cape Elizabeth comes down to one word.

“Defense,” he said. “If they don’t score, we can’t lose. And that’s how we feel.”

The top-seeded Falcons have followed that philosophy to seven shutouts this season and a perfect 10-0 record. They’ve surrendered a state-low 20 points all year, including one touchdown when they beat Cape two weeks ago, 18-6, in a season finale that determined home field advantage for today’s game.

That game was as physical as any the two had played all season, and it’s mind-boggling to even consider that it can get more brutal today (though both teams could stand to cut back on the seven personal fouls and 211 yards in penalties they combined for two weeks ago).

A hard-hitting contest like that usually comes down to turnovers (Cape had five, Mountain Valley two) and the battle in the trenches. The scrum at the line of scrimmage two weeks ago was a sight to see, according to Capers coach Aaron Filieo.

“Looking at it on film, from a football coaches perspective, it was just a wonderful thing to watch, just watching these two great lines battle each other all game long,” Filieo said.

Physically, the Capers (9-1) are the only team in the league that can match the Falcons up front. Brothers Nathaniel (270 pounds) and Jonathan (310 pounds) Lavallee on the left side of the Cape line, along with guard Devon Freitas (235 pounds) on the right, have the bulk to match-up with Mountain Valley’s formidable interior line of Thaddeus Bennett and Kyle Dow.

“Cape is probably the only team that will even try to go man-on-man with those two,” Aylward said.

Bennett (two sacks) and Dow (one sack) were still able to get pressure on Cape quarterbacks. Bennett also laid the hit on Cape starting QB Jim Bump that broke his collarbone and put him out for the rest of the season.

Freshman Ezra Wolfinger took over for Bump early in the second half and struggled (1-of-9, one INT). That experience is probably no more than a haze of cobalt blue and silver to the young quarterback now, said Filieo.

“I’m not so sure he even remembers anything from that half,” said Filieo, who has guided the Capers to the regional final in just their second year in Class B. “That, to him, was probably surreal. I think playing in the playoff game against York was the experience he needed.”

Wolfinger played well in last week’s 14-7 victory over York, tossing the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. He will have a lot of pressure on him to move the chains today because the Capers only managed 12 net yards rushing in the last meeting. If he does have to air it out, he’d do well to avoid cornerback Justin Staires, who had three interceptions in the last game.

Even though Wolfinger will have a lot of pressure on him, Aylward said he isn’t sure the Falcons will be able to rattle him.

“I think with two weeks of preparing him, finding the parts of the playbook that he’s comfortable with, I don’t really think that we have that huge of an advantage,” said Aylward, whose team is seeking its second Campbell Conference title in three years. “Is it a loss for them not to have the Bump kid? Sure. But he’s had to weeks to be coached up now.”

Filieo has been coaching up his defense to take the corners away from the Falcons’ dynamic running duo of Devin Roberts and Justin Staires and steer them inside. He also wants his secondary to take away the big play from Mountain Valley’s passing game. The Capers defended Andy Shorey well last time (6-for-15, 151 yards, two INTs, two sacks), but still gave up a big 73-yard pass play for a touchdown to Staires.

The Falcons continued to display their big-play ability and looked like a team on a mission in last week’s 54-0 thumping of Greely. They’ve been propelled all season by the memory of last year’s upset loss to York in the regional final at Hosmer and will probably come out breathing fire today. Aylward said he hopes that emotion doesn’t backfire on the Falcons.

“I am a little concerned that early in the game our kids are going to be a little hyped up,” he said. “The thing that I’ve tried to tell them before the last couple of big games is ‘Breathe.’ They don’t understand that what I mean is you’ve got to play within yourself.”