By Jimmy Thomas
Content Editor, DigitalSports.com

**Check below the story for hightlights from both semifinal games in separate video players**

Northern Region standouts Chantilly and Oakton will meet for the fourth time this season at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Westfield High School. This time, though, the stakes couldn't be higher: The winner will claim a Virginia AAA state championship.

Chantilly defeated Oakton for its first Concorde District and Northern Region titles in school history earlier this season and will attempt to do the same in Saturday's state finale. But it is the Cougars who have dominated the big stage in years' past, winning three consecutive state championships from 2003-2005 before falling to Robinson in the 2006 title game.

"We are both very well-balanced teams," Oakton coach Tony Gray said. "It could go either way. It's gone their way the last three times. We are just hoping the ball goes our way on Saturday and things come out a little differently."

Chantilly advanced to the finale with a convincing 10-5 win over Western Albemarle, the top seed from Region II in the first game of Tuesday's semifinal double-header. And after a substantial rain delay that sent both Oakton and Albemarle, the top seed from the Northwest Region, and their fans scurrying into the school building for shelter, the Cougars blasted the Patriots, 14-3.

Though both semifinal match-ups were close early, the two Northern Region powers exploded in their respective games to render the fourth quarter of play largely uneventful.

Tied at two in the first quarter, Chantilly senior Corey Aferiat took a pass from fellow senior Jake Nolan and beat the goalie to spark a seven-goal run that spanned more than two quarters of play and pushed the Chargers' lead to 9-2 just a minute into the fourth quarter. Aferiat scored again during that span, totaling three goals for the game  and two assists.

Chantilly senior Ian Mills added a hat-trick of his own and senior Kevin O'Neill scored twice and recorded two assists.

Oakton, meanwhile, entered half time with a mere 3-2 advantage in a game that looked to be dominated by both defenses, but the Cougars dominated the second half, scoring 10 unanswered goals while only allowing one Albemarle second-half score.

Ten different players scored for Oakton, including two each from seniors Rob Koster and James McClellan and junior James Wheatley. Koster added two assists as well.

Email: jthomas@digitalsports.com

Game 1

                ____        1st    2nd    3rd    4th -- _F
Chantilly                   3       2      3       2  -- 10
Western Albemarle   2       0       0       3  -- 5

Game 2

                               1st    2nd    3rd    4th   -- _F
Oakton                     1       2       8      3    -- 14
Albemarle                 1       1       0      1    -- 3