CORTLAND — Samantha Heyman looked left, rolled right and launched a perfect spiral downfield. Zoe Franks never broke stride.

The 38-yard touchdown strike on the opening drive set the tone for Half Hollow Hills' dominant 20-6 win over Section V’s Penfield in the state Class A flag football semifinal Saturday at Cortland High School. It was the first of two touchdowns for the quarterback-wide receiver duo and helped punch the Hawks’ ticket to their first state championship game.

“She’s become my sister on this team,” Heyman said of Franks. “As soon as she came to the team, we clicked instantly, and our chemistry follows throughout the team.”

Half Hollow Hills (18-3) will face Section I’s Scarsdale (21-0) at 11 a.m. Sunday for the state title, continuing a postseason run that includes a win over defending state champion Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK to end a 52-game win streak.

Heyman was the difference again. The junior completed 15 of 23 passes for 148 yards and added 147 rushing yards on 17 carries. Her second touchdown pass came early in the first half when she found Franks wide open again for a 31-yard score after an interception by sophomore linebacker Laila D’Haiti.

“You have to have that trust that she’s going to find you and I had it,” Franks said. “It was the best feeling in the world.”

Franks finished with seven catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore also had a key interception in the second half.

The Hills defense made its presence known from the start, forcing a Penfield three-and-out and holding them scoreless in the first half. D’Haiti had eight flag pulls and an interception. Sophomore rusher Emma Gould and junior Gale Kurland added eight and four flag pulls, respectively, and freshman Harlow Rivera batted down a pass to help stall a Penfield drive.

“We all stayed connected with each other and kept our energy high,” Gould said. “We knew we had to get a job done and we were going to do it.”

Another electric moment on offensive chemistry came just before halftime. After driving deep into Penfield territory, Hills ran a trick play that began with Heyman tossing the ball to Franks on the outside. Franks then flipped the ball behind her back to senior center Caitlyn Collymore, who caught it in stride and ran it in for a 13-yard touchdown.

“That play was everything,” Heyman said. “We had been waiting to use it and it could not have come at a better time.”

Penfield (10-4) responded with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Sophia Puccia to Molly Brown with 17 minutes left in the second half.

But the day belonged to Heyman and Hills, as they moved a step closer to a state title. 

“She is a one-of-a-kind type of player,” Hills coach Mike Lupa said. “Her IQ is spectacular, her game presence is spectacular. She’s the rock. She keeps the girls together mentally and physically.”