SCARBOROUGH — Scarborough High’s football team had a plan for Friday’s Class A regional quarterfinal: Get the win and get ready for two-time defending state champion Thornton Academy.

No. 3 Scarborough (7-2) ran past overmatched sixth-seed South Portland (2-7) with its power running game. The Red Storm also fine-tuned its passing attack to outgain the Red Riots, 364-86, en route to a chilly but dry 42-6 win.

“Really this week we’ve been preparing for Thornton and we covered some stuff last night in a walk-through to be prepared for this game,” Scarborough Coach Lance Johnson said. “We just wanted to come in here, get a win and move on and stay healthy and it was successful.”

Scarborough will be at No. 2 Thornton (7-1) next weekend for the regional semifinal. In the regular season, the Red Storm lost at home to Thornton, 34-19.

“We always have the mentality that we can win and I really do believe that we can win this year,” said two-way lineman and captain Dakota Joy. “This year we’re way tougher up front. We’re so much smarter. We have a great quarterback and great running backs.”

Scarborough led 35-0 at the half thanks to two Zoltan Panyi touchdowns passes in a 52-second span late in the second quarter. The entire second half was played in running-time conditions. “We just wanted to get our wide receivers in the groove for next week and it worked out well,” Panyi said.

After Panyi’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Reece Lagerquist with 1:42 to play, Scarborough expertly preserved time.

Emmett Peoples (6 of 6 on point-after kicks), aided by a strong wind, drove the kickoff into the end zone. The Red Storm defense, which allowed only 86 total yards, stuffed three straight South Portland running plays, with Johnson calling timeout after each.

Panyi (6-of-8 passing for 104 yards) took over with 1:12 left and 52 yards to cover. He needed just 22 seconds. He hit Drew LeClair on a smooth sideline route for 11 yards, with LeClair stepping out of bounds to stop the clock. Owen Garrard went low to scoop up a 12-yard pass after Panyi eluded pressure. Then Panyi hit Cody Dudley in stride at the goal line for a 29-yard strike.

Scarborough backs Garrard (9 carries, 58 yards), Aren Dickman (3-64), and Drew LeClair (9-55) each scored a touchdown, with Dickman busting a trap play for 47 yards.

LeClair added a 7-yard score on Scarborough’s first possession of the second half to push the lead to 42-0.

South Portland scored on its next possession. Hard-working senior Finn Zechman fought his way for 12 yards on a quick hitch pass and had runs of 16 and 11 yards. On a fourth-and-two play, Matt Crockett (4 of 10, 63 yards) faked a handoff and connected with wide-open freshman tight end Hunter Owen on a 15-yard score early in the fourth quarter.

“We focused on competing each play and limiting our own errors,” said South Portland Coach Steve Stinson. “That felt good. We got a lot of rhythm going with a lot of young guys and got a freshman in the end zone.”