Dirigo coach Dave Gerrish used the term “controlled chaos” to describe the style of play Washington Academy of East Machias used to get to the Class C boys’ state championship game.

Given Dirigo’s own penchant for basketball bedlam, Saturday’s game (8:30 p.m., Augusta Civic Center) promises to be a fast-paced one pitting two teams that see a lot of themselves in one another.

“Dirigo certainly doesn’t have a lot of size. Neither do we. They have some really good guards. So do we,” first-year Washington Academy coach Steve Pineo said. “Both teams, I think, like to get up and down the floor. We look for our guards to run the show for us, and certainly Dirigo, with (senior guard Tyler) Chiasson, likes to do that. He’s going to be a tough matchup for us.”

The 6-foot-2 Chiasson isn’t the only advantage the Cougars have over the Raiders. Dirigo will be playing at its home away from home in Augusta, where it hasn’t lost since the 2008 regional final. It also has the experience of playing in last year’s state title game, which it lost to Calais.

“Having been there before always helps,” said Gerrish, who coached Mountain Valley in back-to-back state title games in 2006 and 2007, winning the second. “It always gives you more confidence. And I think it helps any time you have a senior-laden team and they’re playing well at the end of the year.”

“I think we want it more now that we’ve already lost one,” said senior forward Nic Crutchfield, whose team is after its first gold ball since 1983.

Like Dirigo (18-3), the Raiders (20-1) used a stifling defense to roll through their region. They gave up 46 points per game during the regular season and 45 per game during the tournament. They pressed Calais and forced 29 turnovers in the Eastern Maine championship, a big reason they were able to win even though the four-time defending regional champions held them five points below their previous season low in the 54-49 victory.

The Cougars know they’ll need to keep their cool in the face of WA’s pressure. With five seniors in the starting lineup, composure has been the Cougars’ specialty this year.

“Calais had a lot of turnovers, so that’s what we’re looking not to do,” senior Tyler Gates said. “I think it’s going to come down to how we handle the ball, because Calais still stayed in the game with that many turnovers. I think as long as we come out calm and beat their press, we’ve got a shot.”

Washington will run off missed shots and turnovers but is also dangerous in the half court. Senior point guard Ben Teer, the Raiders’ leading scorer, topped 1,000 points this year, averaging just under 19 points per game and is their top playmaker.

“Even though he’s a great shooter and scores a lot of points for us, he would almost rather dish than shoot,” Pineo said. “He’s a real unselfish kid.”

Noah Von Rotz, an explosive slasher, joins Teer in the backcourt. Bryce Colbeth, a 6-foot-2 forward, is WA’s top post player. The senior trio combined for 41 of WA’s 54 points in its five-point victory Calais. Another senior, Justin Morren, brings tough interior defense and rebounding to the Raiders front line. Morren, Colbeth and Sam Stevens combined for 29 points and 28 rebounds in the Raiders’ 68-50 semifinal win over Foxcroft Academy.

WA’s only loss, by two points, came at the hands of Eastern B finalist Ellsworth.

The Raiders practiced at the ACC Tuesday to get used to the surroundings, and found quite a contrast to the cozier Bangor Auditorium.

“It’s completely different than Bangor,” Pineo said. “It’s a little bit better lit. There’s a lot more space behind the hoop, so the depth perception is a little different there. One of the biggest differences that I noticed, and the kids didn’t seem to mind it, is the floor is right on concrete, so it’s really hard and the ball handles a little different off the floor. It’s an advantage for Dirigo to have already played three games there, without a doubt.”

Despite their lack of size, the Raiders have out-rebounded most of their opponents this year, Pineo said. Led by Crutchfield and Kyle Hutchinson, the Cougars have more than held their own on the glass, too. Even Chiasson, Gates and fellow guards Eric Bolduc and Spencer Ross will get involved if needed.

The Cougars used their strength in numbers to get by top-seeded Livermore Falls, 69-56 in the Western Maine final. Ross, Crutchfield, Bolduc and Hutchinson all reached double figures in scoring, while Chiasson and Gates missed the magic mark by just one and two points, respectively.