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AUGUSTA — For two football programs who are rarities on the state championship stage, being this close to a title feels surreal to Cony and Westbrook.

Whereas Saturday’s other games feature teams that play for Gold Balls regularly, that can’t be said for the Rams and Blue Blazes. Cony’s Class B title in 2013 marks the only time either school has played in a state championship game.

“I remember that feeling in 2013, with how special it was in the community to be there for that first time ever, and I know that the folks in Westbrook are feeling that right now,” said Cony coach B.L. Lippert. “Even for us, it’s a similar feel because these kids now have virtually no memory of that game 12 years ago.”

Although the roads here have been special for two teams that won’t take this opportunity for granted, they’ve also been different. Both Cony, which has consistently won big, and Westbrook, which has grinded out tight wins over strong opponents, are confident their path has prepared them for this moment.

Cony (10-0) has shredded its foes, with an average victory margin of 41 points (50.0-9.0), the highest of any team in the state. Parker Morin (2,588 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, two interceptions) has been unstoppable, and the Rams’ defense allowed just 3.9 points per game against Class B North foes.

Close games, then, have been a rarity for the North champion Rams, whose 39-34 win over Oxford Hills on Sept. 27 was their only game decided by fewer than 32 points. Yet the Rams say they’re not worried about how they might respond if they wind up in a close game Saturday.

“That’s why we practice the way we do,” Morin said. “We practice every day like it’s 0-0, and we play like that on the field, too. We really do a good job of keeping that mindset, no matter what the scoreboard says, so if that happens, I think we’ll do fine.”

Junior lineman Diesel Cox also cited the Oxford Hills game as evidence Cony is, in fact, battle-tested. In that Saturday road game in the September heat, the Rams let an early lead slip away, then went back-and-forth with the Vikings in the second half before ultimately pulling out a victory.

For Westbrook (9-1), close games have been a weekly occurrence. The Blue Blazes’ past four wins have all come by one score. The most recent, a 34-27 victory over Kennebunk in the South final, clinched the first regional title in program history.

“We have a group of kids that’s not affected by success or failure — they just play to play,” said Westbrook coach Sam Johnson. “We trust in our scheme, our kids trust the coaches, and the coaches trust the kids, so when we get in those close games, we’re able to stay the course.”

Westbrook’s most resilient display came in the South semifinals against Marshwood. After the Hawks stuffed the Blue Blazes in the red zone on four drives in the second half, Westbrook mounted one last comeback bid in the final minutes. That culminated with a Gio Staples touchdown run with 30 seconds left to grab a 15-12 win.

That game, Westbrook juniors Hunter Hall and Peter Wescott said, was emblematic of the Blue Blazes’ ability to be at their best in the clutch. Wescott said those kinds of moments are what Westbrook will draw upon if it finds itself in another close battle against Cony.

“We’ve been in a lot of close games this year — Cheverus, Marshwood, Kennebunk — and I feel like we’re going to have that edge (if it gets to that situation),” Wescott said. “In those moments like that, it’s almost like you’re fighting to survive, and that’s something we all feel.”

Although Lippert isn’t worried about his team’s resolve in a potentially close game, it’s still something Cony would like to avoid. The Rams can’t let a Westbrook team that knows how to grind out victories be in position to do so.

“To knock them out, you’ve got to really kill them, because they will come back,” Lippert said. “They play close games, and they can play from behind. … You’ve just got to stay focused and get it in your head that you’re playing four quarters, because these guys never give up.”

For Westbrook, it’s about rolling with the punches. The Blue Blazes know Cony’s prolific offense is bound to make some plays, but the group that has delivered a historic season — which few outside of Westbrook saw coming — is confident in its ability to keep pace.

“It’s that mindset of, ‘Let’s put our heads down and play football, and when the bell rings, we’ll see what happens,’” Johnson said. “We’ve talked about pressure being a privilege and adversity as an opportunity to create some really special moments, and our kids believe in that.”