With its eye on state title number eight, the Phoebus Phantoms decimated the visiting Tigers from Brentsville, 43-0 on Saturday at Hampton’s Darling Stadium.

The Phantoms (13-1) will play unbeaten Liberty Christian, who manhandled Abingdon 56-13 in the other semifinal, this Saturday at 4:30 on the campus of Liberty University’s Williams Stadium for the Class 3 State Championship.

Heading into the second quarter and with Phoebus missing one of its star players, Kymari Gray, it looked like the team from Prince William County would present a more formidable challenge to the champions of the Peninsula District.

But the Phantoms caught fire. Quarterback Mark Wagner threw for three touchdowns in the second quarter, two to receiver Donald Gatling Jr. And the stingy Phoebus defense allowed just 67 yards in the first half, as Brentsville could not rev up Bryce Jackson, its star runner.