The stage is set.

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s football team punched its ticket to the VISAA Division III state championship game on Friday night with a 43-21 rout of visiting North Cross School in the state semifinals.

“We’re excited,” said Saints coach Lew Johnston. “This was our goal starting out. We felt we had the type of team that could get us there, and now we’ve got to do it one more time.”

NSA jumped on the Raiders quickly, scoring 22 points in the first quarter and holding a 37-0 lead at halftime.

The Saints’ leading rusher, senior Noah Giles, did some damage on the ground but then was pulled from the game after suffering a hip injury.

“He’ll be fine,” Johnston said. “With a 37-point lead, we didn’t need him. We’ll rest him over the weekend.”

Giles still managed to lead Nansemond-Suffolk with 106 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

He had a lot of help on Friday as the Saints executed what Johnston described as a methodical attack that did not feature many long runs.

Senior running back Graham Moore had six carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, senior quarterback/wide receiver Noah Serianni had three carries for 52 yards and a touchdown, junior fullback KeShaun Moore had eight carries for 35 yards and senior running back Daniel Griffith had two carries for 11 yards and a touchdown.

Senior running back Cole Christiansen ran in a couple two-point conversions to go with one by Giles.

“It was a very balanced attack,” Johnston said. “That’s the beauty of the Wing-T — it’s a four-back offense. They can’t stop all of it. So we figured out what they were trying to take away, and we hit them in other places.”

NSA’s final touchdown of the game came courtesy of its defense. KeShaun Moore, also a linebacker, intercepted Raiders sophomore quarterback Nariq Bailey at about midfield and ran it all the way back for the score.

“The defense was just lights out,” Johnston said. “Our game plan was fabulous. Coach (Justin) Conyers did a great job putting the game plan together, and of course, then the kids have got to go out and execute it, and they really did.”

Nansemond-Suffolk effectively took North Cross star senior wide receiver Jordan Lowery out of the equation. He had five catches for nine yards and one carry for -8 yards.

Johnston did note that Raiders sophomore running back Maurice Garrison took his team by surprise with his speed. Garrison, who did not play against the Saints in the season opener this year, generated most of his team’s offense on Friday night, finishing with 18 carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Now, NSA will turn its attention to the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division III state championship game in which it will face undefeated Atlantic Shores Christian School.

The Seahawks (10-0) defeated The Covenant School 51-8 on Friday night, and will host the Saints (8-3) at the Virginia Beach SportsPlex next week.

Nansemond-Suffolk will not only be looking for its first state title since 2009, it will also be aiming to bring Johnston his first state championship as a coach in the final game of his career.