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Annapolis has not been kind to the Good Counsel football program over the last five years. That did not stop senior fullback Mike Nittoli from wanting, more than anything, to get back there.

"Everyone we have wants it real bad," Nittoli said. "After the last game [against DeMatha], everyone was real upset. We want some revenge. And we know what to expect."

Nittoli rushed for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns Friday in the Falcons' 35-6, league-playoff semifinal win over visiting Bishop McNamara. For the sixth consecutive year they head to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game, still seeking their first win. All five losses came to DeMatha.

Third-seeded McNamara (8-3 overall, 5-3 WCAC) came in off a 10-7 loss to that DeMatha squad, and spoiling for an upset. But any doubt that the No. 2 Falcons (10-1, 7-1) would make a return trip to Navy had faded by the end of the first quarter.

In the first 12 minutes, the Mustangs ran six offensive plays for a net loss of 11 yards. They also had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown by Good Counsel junior Blake Countess.

That made it 14-0 after Good Counsel took the opening kickoff and drove 85 yards, despite 20 yards in penalties. Nittoli finished the drive with 4 untouched yards, 7 minutes into the game.

"[The line] was getting a good push off the ball and making good reads," Nittoli said. "We know the blitzes they come with. ... We knew we could come out and show them more than we did last time [a 21-7 regular-season win]."

Nittoli scored again late in the second quarter, and Good Counsel removed all doubt when quarterback Zach Dancel bootlegged into the end zone from a yard out, capping a 6-minute third quarter drive.

"We try to run what we call our core plays," Good Counsel coach Bob Milloy said. "We have about six or seven plays that we run against any defense imaginable. And we think we can run them against anybody."

Good Counsel rolled up 237 rushing yards, with sophomore tailback Wes Brown kicking in 67 and Dancel 29. Dancel also completed 6 of 8 passes for 113 yards and a 45-yard touchdown strike to senior Louis Young in the fourth quarter.

The defense was stout as well, aided by the return of senior middle linebacker Chris Pitsenberger, who had missed the last three games with an injury. The Mustangs finished with 250 total yards, but 138 of them came on four big plays by senior Brandon Coleman.

The 6-foot-6 wideout caught a 49-yard jump ball, ran a fake punt 22 yards and advanced a recovered fumble 25 yards. He also scored McNamara's only points when Matthew Goldsmith caught a lateral and threw to Coleman for a 42-yard score.

"You have to play a perfect game," McNamara coach Bryce Bevill said. "We're talking about one of the best teams in the state in Good Counsel. Whether it's field position or not turning the ball over, you cannot make mistakes against them."

The Falcons have one last hurdle to clear — the only one that has consistently tripped them up during Milloy's 10-year tenure.

"Our thoughts about Navy are mostly bad," Milloy said. "But we're going to go back there and give it our best shot."