Four rounds down. One more to go.

The De La Salle Pilots (12-0) can now say that, after defeating the Livonia Franklin Patriots Saturday afternoon, 49-14, in a MHSAA Division 2 state semifinal game at Hazel Park High School.

In doing so, the Pilots punched their ticket to the Div. 2 state championship game for the second straight year and for the fourth time in five seasons. They will square off with the Traverse City Central Trojans (12-1) in the state title game. Kickoff is set for Friday at 1 p.m. at Ford Field.

The Purple and Gold featured a well-balanced offensive attack against the Patriots in the teams’ semifinal tilt, scoring four times on the ground and two times via the air. Junior quarterback Brady Drogosh scored twice on both the ground and through the air.

Meanwhile, junior Griffin Phillips contributed the lone defensive score of the game, with a 24-yard interception return for touchdown.

With the win, the Pilots have now outscored their four postseason opponents, 173-48.

While De La Salle head coach Dan Rohn is happy for his team, he is not satisfied just yet.

“As I’ve said since day one, I didn’t come to De La Salle to just win Catholic League championships and to win district and regional championships in the playoffs,” Rohn said after the game. “I came to De La Salle to lead the school to state championships, and I will not be fully satisfied this season until we do just that.”

Drogosh opened up the scoring for De La Salle with a 55-yard touchdown run, with 10:29 to play in the first quarter.

Rohn’s squad scored twice more in the opening quarter, and took a 21-0 lead into the second quarter. The second and third scores of the first quarter came, respectively, from Phillips and sophomore Rhett Roeser, on a long touchdown run.

The Purple and Gold led 28-0 before Franklin got on the scoreboard for the first time of the day.

Drogosh connected with fellow junior Triston Nichols on a 50-yard bomb, to give the Pilots the aforementioned four-touchdown advantage with 6:02 remaining in the first half. It was Drogosh’s first of two long TD passes to Nichols.

The signal-caller’s other TD throw to Nichols -- of the 49-yard variety -- came on De La Salle’s subsequent offensive possession, which followed an 89-yard kickoff return for touchdown by Patriots junior Tyler Garrett.

Franklin answered right back after Drogosh’s second touchdown throw to Nichols, too -- this time, via a 52-yard TD pass from senior Zac Olesuk to fellow senior Brandon Reiten.

At this point, the Patriots may have been thinking that they had a chance to make it a game. However, instead of that being the case, Drogosh and the Pilots scored once more before the end of the first half. For his final touchdown of the contest, the dual-threat passer proceeded to take a QB keeper all the way to the end zone from 73 yards out.

It gave De La Salle a 42-14 halftime lead, and it all but squashed any hope of the Patriots making a comeback.

With a running clock to their advantage for the majority of the second half (running clock goes into effect once team goes up by 35 points), the Purple and Gold, aided by two forced turnovers, shut out the Patriots in the final half of play.

The first turnover of the half -- an interception recorded by senior Dionte Dandridge -- set up Roeser’s second and final TD run of the day. On the score, the bulldozing back took a goal-line handoff from Drogosh, and carried it two yards into the end zone.

It provided the Pilots with a 49-14 advantage with 8:49 to go in the third quarter. It was all but over at this point, and then for good measure, senior Will Beesley came up with an interception of Olesuk toward the end of the quarter.

As they have been all postseason long, the De La Salle ground attack and defense were clicking on all cylinders Saturday, and Rohn & Co. effectively deployed the two elements to run out the clock on the game and on Franklin’s season.

“I think our kids have turned up their level of play and intensity in the month of November,” Rohn said. “We know we have to play at a higher level in order to beat the best teams come this time of year, and I think we did that today against a good Franklin team.”

The Purple and Gold will try to make it three Div. 2 state championships in five years, when they take on Traverse City Central Friday. A season ago, the Pilots, with Rohn in his first year at the helm, fell to Muskegon Mona Shores in the state title game, 25-19.

A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase at De La Salle prior to this year’s state final. The tickets, which cost $20, will go on sale Monday at 9 a.m. in the school’s athletic office, and can also be purchased at Ford Field on Friday.

Additionally, remember to follow us on Twitter @DLSPilots for all your must-have information leading up to Friday.