INDIANAPOLIS — The scene shortly after Fountain Central’s first semi-state win in 26 years last week looked all-too familiar: a brief celebration followed by the trophy presentation, posing for a few pictures, and then it was back to business.

And even as they kneeled in the end zone of the football field at Clinton Central High School, the post-game speech by coach Rick Malone had less to do with how excited he was that they had just punched their ticket to the state championship game, and more with what they were going to have to do to win it.

At the time, the No. 3 Mustangs didn’t know their opponent would be the top-rated Lafayette Central Catholic Knights. But the truth is, they didn’t care.

“We’ve approached every game the same way whether we were playing Turkey Run or Riverton Parke or Attica or Covington, the people we knew pretty well, or if it was Linton or Clinton Central,” Malone said. “We approach it the same way.

“One thing we’ve talked about is respecting the game. Play against the game first, then your opponent. If you play against the game, you do everything you are taught as well as you possibly can, the game will take care of itself regardless of who your opponent is. That’s why when we have been getting ready to play this game, it’s just another opponent. It’s just another game.”

So far, that philosophy has worked for the Mustangs who, until last week’s 42-14 win over Clinton Central, had not allowed more than one touchdown in a game since their September 18 win over Attica.

Overall, Fountain Central’s first-team defense has given up only eight touchdowns. And in today’s Class A state championship, it will butt heads with the state’s fifth-leading passer (yards per game average), Chris Mills.

Mills has led Central Catholic’s high-powered offense averaging 52.4 points per game. Through 14 games, they have not scored less than 20.

But the Mustangs (14-0) know exactly what they will have to do to contain Mills and the Knights (14-0).

“That’s going to be a huge challenge,” Fountain Central senior defensive back Ryan Carver said. “We’ve got to get pressure on their quarterback and make him feel uncomfortable. Our DBs have to read the coverage pretty well and play together as a team.

“We don’t want him to have any time to get comfortable or have time to throw. We want to make him feel like he has to squeeze it in there.”

The Mustangs have picked off 17 passes so far this season with Carver grabbing four and senior quarterback and defensive back Scott Moore leading the team with five.

“We have a great game plan, we’ve just got to execute it well and then just fly to the ball,” Moore said. “They’re going to complete passes, that’s what they do. That’s their offense. We’ve just got to fly around and not let (them have) any big plays and just keep everything in front of us.”

While Moore stays focused on the defensive game plan, he will also attempt to keep the Mustangs’ offense consistent.

Moore is quickly approaching the 3,000-yard mark (combined passing and rushing), and has the support of two 800-plus-yard running backs (Trent Spear and Sam Shoaf).

Fountain Central has only trailed twice briefly this season going down 7-0 early to both Rockville and Covington, and hope to break through a Central Catholic defense that has recorded eight shutouts and is allowing an average of just 3.2 points per game.

But the Mustangs aren’t worried about the comparisons and put no stock in the words of naysayers who might not give them a chance.

“They are undefeated just like us,” senior lineman Coy Knecht said. “They’ve been killing some teams. We’ve just got to take it like every other game. Like coach has been saying, they put on their pants just like we do. We’ve just got to play our game and take it the way we can.”

A win would mean the first football state championship for Fountain Central since 1983 and the program’s first-ever perfect season.

The Mustangs have prepared all season for one goal, and they would fulfill that goal today by defeating Central Catholic. And from their weekly preparation to a team-wide, focused demeanor, they are doing everything possible to put themselves in position to succeed.

“We want to win a state title and that’s what we’re going for,” Carver said. “We would prepare the same way even if it wasn’t CC. We just want one thing and that is the state (title).”

Kickoff for today’s Class A state title game is set for 3:30 p.m. (Eastern) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.