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AUBURN — The triple-option has only been in the Camden Hills playbook for about three weeks, but Saturday in the eight-man Large School championship game against Spruce Mountain, it looked as if the Windjammers had been running that offense all year.

“We knew we wanted to spice something up for the playoffs, and with the personnel we had in the backfield, we knew that would work very well,” senior quarterback Hollis Schwalm said. “We haven’t had a chance to run it so much until today, and clearly, it was well-timed.”

The shifty lefty passed for 132 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 171 yards and three scores as Camden Hills (10-1) never trailed on the way to a 52-26 victory.

The Windjammers were playing in the program’s first state final.

“It’s good. We’ve rehearsed this preparation,” coach Chris Christie said. “And just credit to coaches and athletes for putting a game plan together this year that took a look at the big picture, not each individual game. The big picture was always in mind. This was always the goal.”

Both Camden Hills and Spruce Mountain (8-2) fumbled early and turned the ball over on downs, but only the top-seeded Phoenix could turn the takeaway into points. Austin Armandi (75 total yards) ran in from the 3 midway through the second quarter to cut the Windjammers’ lead to 8-6.

For the rest of the first half, Schwalm could not be stopped.

“Attack, attack, attack,” Schwalm said. “We knew we could get the edges, get the runs going, and I feel like I just attacked them offensively.”

On the next three drives, Schwalm scrambled for a 67-yard score on third-and-long, broke three tackles for an 8-yard score and waltzed in for a 6-yard keeper to give Camden Hills a 32-12 halftime lead.

“What can you say that hasn’t already been said?” Christie said when asked about his quarterback, who was 10 for 12 passing. “The kid is a leader on the field and off the field … There are times that we’ve told him ‘We’re just going to put the game on your shoulders.’ Today was not that day, but he just took it anyway.”

Ethan Dingle’s 12-yard TD run early in the third quarter extended the lead, but Spruce Mountain junior Owen Kelvey (113 scrimmage yards) took the following kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown that made it 38-20.

The Phoenix then had an opportunity to cut further into their deficit, but Camden Hills junior Braden Beveridge (137 total yards) intercepted a Dylan Jewett pass and capped the ensuing drive with a 20-yard TD run.

“Dylan Jewett, he’s a great player,” said Beveridge after his two-pick performance. “We noticed that some of his passes loop, so there’s time to get under it. We just stood our coverage and (made) a play on the ball.”

Jewett, a junior, was 10 of 20 passing for 149 yards and added 69 yards on the ground, including a 13-yard score.

Justin Batty, who caught a wide-open 25-yard TD pass on the opening drive, and Kiran Farley also snagged interceptions for the Windjammers.

Ben Hoffman scored the Windjammers’ final touchdown on a 10-yard run with 10:17 to go.

Spruce Mountain coach Devin Roberts said that as the scoring margin grew, his team, playing in the program’s first-ever state final, grew panicky trying to make a big play.

The Phoenix forced a late turnover on downs, and Jewett found Kelvey for a 7-yard TD with 31 seconds left.

“They’re a special group,” Spruce Mountain coach Devin Roberts said. “They played together all the way up through. If you watch the last two minutes of the game, we’re coaching to the last second, we’re playing to the last second. We scored again late. They just don’t have any quit.”