WINTHROP — It didn’t seem to matter if it was Cody Cobb or Carter Rivers carrying the ball, nothing was going to stop the rushing attack of the Winthrop football team on Friday night.

The duo, both senior running backs, combined for 345 rushing yards and five touchdowns to lead the No. 2 Ramblers to a 36-6 win over No. 3 Dirigo in a Class D South semifinal game at Charlie’s Field. Winthrop (8-1) will meet defending Class D champion Wells, which beat Oak Hill 55-14 on Friday night, in the regional final.

“We couldn’t be more happy, we’ve all worked so hard this year,” Cobb said. “It just means so much to so many of us.”

“It’s crazy,” added Rivers. “We’re just going to keep going and keep getting what we can.”

Cobb ran for 172 yards on 16 carries, scoring four touchdowns. Rivers ran for 173 yards on 17 carries, along with a touchdown. Winthrop had 370 offensive yards, all of which came on the ground.

“We were trying to put the ball in the air, but there was no need to,” Winthrop head coach Joel Stoneton said. “We were having a better game on the ground, so we just kept with it, especially on a (windy) night like tonight.”

Dirigo (7-2) was led by sophomore quarterback Hudson Lufkin, who was 15 of 31 passing for 190 yards, throwing a touchdown pass, as well as three interceptions. He was also the Cougars’ leading rusher, totaling 50 yards on 19 carries.

Winthrop tallied the first points of the game in the first quarter when junior Brock Dewar blocked a Dirigo punt through the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 lead. The Ramblers lengthened the lead to 9-0 in the second quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by Cobb.

Dirigo responded two possessions later, when Lufkin connected with wide receiver Lucas Rice, wide open on a post pattern, to cut Winthrop’s lead to 9-6.

Winthrop managed to score two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half. Rivers started it by when he ran for a 34-yard score to bring the Ramblers’ lead to 16-6. On its next possession, Dirigo tried a hook-and-ladder play, when a receiver laterals to a teammate after a reception to continue the play. Lufkin connected with receiver Trevor Crosby, but Crosby’s lateral missed running back Owen Smith, and the Winthrop defense jumped on the fumble. On the next play, Cobb took the handoff on a counter and sprinted 25 yards for a touchdown, giving the Ramblers a 22-6 halftime lead.

“I couldn’t ask for a better (offensive) line,” Cobb said. “They work their (tail) off, day in and day out, and I couldn’t ask anything else from them.”

“Every play starts with (the line),” Rivers said. “Without them, we’d be nothing. We’d get maybe 2 yards per carry. It’d be awful.”

Cobb scored his final two touchdowns in the second half, a 16-yard run on Winthrop’s first drive of the second half, and a 23-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

Winthrop’s defense held Dirigo to 63 rushing yards and forced four turnovers. Junior defensive back Ben Porter had two interceptions for Winthrop, while sophomore Ross Fichthorn added an interception. Lufkin, pressured all night, did his best to keep plays alive with his feet and strong arm.

“Dirigo is tough, they threw the ball well on us,” Stoneton said. “They had their chances, but we stiffened up and made some plays when we needed to.

“I can tell you that I’m not looking forward to seeing Lufkin next year, he’s just going to get better and better,” Stoneton continued. “He’s just a phenomenal athlete.”

In his final game, senior Nathaniel Wainwright had 95 yards on five receptions for Dirigo.