IOWA — No. 4 North DeSoto controlled all phases of the game in the first quarter and raced out to an insurmountable lead to beat No. 1 Iowa 38-9 on Friday in the Division II non-select semifinals.

The Griffins (12-1) blocked a punt, scored on two long runs and kept Iowa from crossing midfield in the first quarter as they advanced to the state championship game for the first time in program history.

“I thought our kids came out and played really fast on both sides of the ball,” North DeSoto head coach Dennis Dunn said. “The defense was absolutely tremendous. We did the things we needed to do offensively, especially in the first and fourth quarters.

“These kids deserve it. They worked really hard, and they get to go to the dome and play a really good Lutcher football team.”

It is the 11th time that Dunn will take a team to a state championship game, including nine state championships with Evangel Christian from 1992 to 2005.

Iowa (11-2) entered its first semifinal game with a lot of energy and a nine-game win streak but struggled to move the ball.

“With the blocked punt right there at the beginning of the game, they jumped on us before we could blink an eye,” Tommy Johns said. “That is extremely difficult to overcome, especially against a team like that.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids to overcome all the things they have had. We lost 21 seniors, and the majority of these guys had never played a down. For them to come here and make the semifinals and the best record in school history was quite an accomplishment.”

Iowa was limited to 147 yards of total offense and running back Ronald Young was limited to 50 yards on 19 carries.

“They are a heck of a football team,” Johns said of the Griffins. “We knew this was going to be tough. They are a senior ball club. They are very good up front and they have a lot of experience on defense. We knew we would have some problems moving those guys around. They stack the box. They have done that all year long to people, daring you to throw.”

Iowa was forced to punt from inside its 20-yard line on its first possession and Griffins junior Lake Bates blocked the punt. With the ball at the Iowa 4-yard line, North DeSoto capitalized on the early miscue when quarterback Luke Delafield found Trysten Hooper in the end zone.

The Griffins forced Iowa to punt on its first four possessions and turned each stop into a score.

Landon Falls kicked a 27-yard field goal after North DeSoto was stopped at the Iowa 10. It was the only time North DeSoto didn’t score a touchdown after reaching the red zone in the first half.

In the last 2 minutes of the opening quarter, North DeSoto used its power run game and a no-huddle offense to add a pair of scores on a 21-yard run by Brian Banks and an explosive 79-yard run up the middle by John Lewis for a 24-0 lead.

Iowa crossed midfield in the second quarter and reached the red zone twice, but both drives stalled, including a 68-yard drive that ended at the Griffins 4-yard line.

Kyndon Brass caught a 10-yard pass from Cole Corbello with 39 seconds left in the game for Iowa’s lone offensive score. Donovan Winey had six catches for 51 yards.