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WINSLOW — Opposing teams know what the Winslow football team is going to do when it has the ball. That doesn’t prevent the Black Raiders from bowling them over.

Run left; run right; run up the middle. It’s been the Winslow formula for ages, and especially so in the double-wing era of Wes Littlefield. That brand of football is at its pinnacle this fall, as a dominant offense has led the Black Raiders to the Class D championship game.

“That’s what we like to do and what we try to stick to,” said Winslow senior quarterback Liem Fortin. “Our mentality at practice is, ‘3 yards, 3 yards, 3 yards (at a time),’ and then, once we get to the game, that 3 yards turns into (20 or 30) and even some full-field breaks.”

Now, it’s time to see if a unit that’s excelled all season can break down the best of the best. To bring home a state title, Winslow, the No. 1 scoring team in 11-man football, must solve an unbeaten Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale team ranked No. 1 in the state in scoring defense. The Black Raiders (9-1) and Ramblers (10-0) meet Saturday at Lewiston High’s Don Roux Field.

Winslow is averaging 50.3 points per game. The Black Raiders have scored 38 points or more in all but one game and have eclipsed the half-century mark six times. Led by running backs Michael Loubier (1,481 yards, 21 touchdowns) and Hassan Hobbi (1,075 yards, 20 touchdowns), they have rushed for 4,040 yards (404 per game).

Winslow’s line, featuring Ibrahim al-Subaihawi, Zane Erickson, Lucas Spencer, Brody Davidson, Ben Thomas, Nick McCann and Noah Harding, paves the way. That senior-heavy unit has fueled the Black Raiders’ leap from Class D North runner-up last year to outright dominance this fall.

“We’ve always had a good team bond, and this year, I think we’ve stepped up as seniors with our leadership,” Davidson said. “What we went through last year as runners-up, as seniors and as captains this year, it really made us want to go further.”

Now Winthrop’s ferocious defense (6.6 points per game allowed) stands in Winslow’s way. In Glaia Ngongo and Isaiah Trott, the Ramblers have an elite interior line. Brock Dewar is a punishing linebacker, having registered 99 total tackles and 28 tackles for loss. Ross Fichthorn also has 99 tackles at linebacker, and in the secondary, Ben Porter (77 tackles) can stop the run, too.

“They’re very physical; that’s something we’ve seen on film and that we’re going to keep watching,” Hobbi said. “For us, I think it’s going to be the same thing (as Saturday’s 42-14 regional title game win over John Bapst) — everybody gets tired out from the double-wing, so we’re going to see how that goes.”

Yes, there are some similarities between Winthrop and John Bapst, the latter of which was probably the best defense Winslow has faced so far. Although the Ramblers have size, so did a John Bapst team that held Winslow to 14 points in Week 4.

“I don’t know if there’s a bigger defensive line out there in Class D football than John Bapst had; they were big,” Winslow coach Wes Littlefield said. “You’re talking about three linemen right now for Winthrop. Across the board, John Bapst had a ton of those cats.”

Littlefield noted the Black Raiders’ success against John Bapst’s Zach Gaudette, whom he called one of D North’s best linebackers. Winslow’s blocking scheme was able to neutralize Gaudette, allowing Loubier and Hobbi to rattle off huge gains early before the Black Raiders wore down the Crusaders late.

A few opponents have had some rushing success against Winthrop. Oak Hill’s Joe Greenwood ran for 97 yards against the Ramblers in Week 1, and Poland quarterback Damon Martin sprang a few big runs in Week 6. Yet for the most part, Winthrop has been a wall — exactly the challenge McCann and Fortin say they want in a state final.

“We’ve played some good competition, but I feel like we’ve never really had somebody (on) our level,” Fortin said. “We haven’t seen (Winthrop) since our freshman year, so to be able to play them again and have it be in a state game, it’s going to be incredible and a good atmosphere to be around.”

Might Winslow mix it up on Saturday? Don’t count on it. The Black Raiders, who had 42 run plays and three pass plays against John Bapst, have thrown just 33 passes all season. Winthrop’s secondary is another strength — not that Winslow would want to shy away from the formula that’s made it successful in the first place.

“(In) big games like this, you don’t go in with fantastic game plans looking to change a lot of stuff up; you look to keep doing what’s got you there,” Littlefield said. “We’re excited to play. It’s a team that’s well-coached and that’s got a lot of pride, so it should be a hell of a game.”