As the final seconds evaporated off the clock, the Pam Pack made their way towards the sidelines with their heads held high and smiles consuming their faces. They had just outlasted No. 5 Dixon, 3-2, to earn a spot in the 2-A state championship. The Washington faithful poured out of the stands to mob the team in congratulatory fashion.

It was a dramatic finish. The No. 2 Pam Pack owned a two-goal lead for most of the second half. They did their best to hang onto it and coast to the win, but the visiting Bulldogs had other plans. With two minutes left, freshman Graham Pitz was able to beat Washington goalkeeper William Tate and bring his team to within one.

“It scared the heck out of me,” said head coach Jim Kozuch, nervously chuckling. “It freaked me out. We have to do a better job with clock management. If we had kept the ball in the corner, we probably wouldn’t have given up that last goal. But obviously, we got the outcome we wanted.”

Washington led by one going into halftime. Kozuch knew the lead wouldn’t hold up. As he walked to the corner of the field with the team, he told them that they would need to play smart to score a goal early in the second.

“I told them to calm down. It was 2-1 (at halftime), but they outplayed us at the end of the half,” he said. “I told them, ‘Guys, we have the lead so let’s just settle down.’”

And that’s exactly what they did. The Pam Pack kicked off the second half by keeping the ball in their attacking third of the field. Miguel Hernandez worked his way into the right side of the box where he was fouled by a Bulldog defender.

Freddy Jimenez followed closely behind the referee as he ran out to the penalty spot. He squared himself up, waited for the whistle and sent the ball right down the middle to put the Pam Pack on top, 3-1, five minutes into the second half.

Jimenez drew first blood in similar fashion when he converted on a penalty kick just 10 minutes into the game. Washington was awarded the opportunity when the Bulldogs were penalized for a handball in the box.

Rob Zerniak added to the lead in the 16th minute. Kyle Hodges took to the air and headed the ball to Zerniak at the top of the box. He shook off a Dixon defender and shot for the lower-right corner. Keeper Rico Hurtado got a piece of the shot, but it found the twine behind him anyways.

It was Zerniak’s fifth goal in the last three outings.

The game was even, despite what the scoreboard read. Dixon did a good job to own possession, which is not something Washington usually faces. Even so, Kozuch and company had a sound game plan going into the matchup and executed it well.

“Their center midfielder and forward are great players,” Kozuch said. “That whole team. They’re very well coached. Sometimes you have to change the game up a little bit. They were really great with possession, but we stayed strong the whole time. We were able to get the first goal, which is so important.”

The Pam Pack defenders also continued their dominant performance. Led by senior Holt McKeithan, they kept getting in front of shots and disrupted the Bulldogs’ rhythm.

“I like to get the best guy and lock him down,” McKeithan said. “That’s where I’m comfortable — sticking on a man and making sure he doesn’t get anything. That’s where I thrive.”

Washington will enter unchartered waters on Saturday. The boys club has never played for a championship. Regardless, the Pam Pack — especially the 10 seniors — are excited for what will be, no matter what, their final game of the season.

“It’s tough because we haven’t been there,” Kozuch said. “We’re just going to fight with keeping guys cool and keeping their composure. It’s hard to play it like it’s just a regular game, but that’s what we have to do.”

Hodges added, “I’m super excited. It’s just an awesome feeling. We’ve never experienced this. It’s the furthest the soccer team has ever gone. We’ve set records in goal scoring, wins and playoff rounds. It’s just the best feeling ever. I feel like we have a shot to win it.”

The final challenge in front comes in the form of No. 1 Salisbury. The Hornets defeated No. 7 Trinity 6-0 to punch their ticket to the championship.