The moment that No. 24 St. John’s (D.C.) has been building toward all season has arrived. 

The Cadets, who ran the conference table after a 2-2 start against one of the most challenging non-conference slates in the country, will need a second victory over Gonzaga (D.C.) on Saturday in Landover, MD, to secure their first WCAC Championship of the modern era.

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Of course, that coronation is not an inevitability.

Just a year ago, St. John’s led by 15 with 7:18 to go before a furious DeMatha rally stole a title that all but belonged to the Cadets. And SJC’s opponent on Saturday, Gonzaga, led 14-9 at halftime when the teams met just two weeks ago.

Head coach Randy Trivers’ Eagles are winning ahead of schedule, with freshman quarterback Caleb Williams leading the offense after a handful of key graduations, including the team’s leading rusher from 2016. Still, whether it’s ahead of schedule or not, Gonzaga is winning — and Williams isn't looking much like a freshman.

In last week's semifinals, the Eagles faced a Good Counsel (MD) defense that had a propensity for forcing mistakes by the opposing quarterback, but Williams was careful and calculated, successfully protecting the football and his defense — and delivering a blow when the opportunity presented itself.

Running back Lucas Warfield provided some much-needed balance on the ground, gashing the Good Counsel defense for 89 yards and two scores on 14 carries — and taking a bulk of the pressure off of Williams.

For its part, the Gonzaga defense was lights out in the second half, allowing just 38 rushing yards — after Good Counsel rushed for 136 in the first half — and forcing Falcons quarterback Kam Snell to beat them through the air.

He couldn’t and the Eagles moved on with a 24-17 win.

St. John’s presents a much more daunting challenge, with weapons all over the field, and an outstanding senior quarterback who can carry an offense when it’s required — something Gonzaga is all too aware of after the Cadets’ third- and fourth-quarter performance in the teams’ most recent encounter.

With respect to Snell, who exceeded expectations all season as the field general at Good Counsel, Doyle doesn’t miss this throw.

And he makes this throw:

The pressure being placed on the Gonzaga defense will be immense, as the weapons available to Doyle are seemingly endless — a group that includes running back Keilan Robinson and wide receivers Quinten Johnson and Rakim Jarrett. 

And the margin for error will be small simply because the St. John’s defense just doesn’t allow an opposing offense to breathe much.

Seniors DJ Brown, Cam Goode, and Caleb Okechukwu wreak havoc at all three levels. Sophomore outside linebacker Mekhail Sherman is a monster — and did we mention he’s a sophomore?

DJ Brown isn’t shy about delivering the Cadets’ recipe for success. Just ask him. He’ll let you know that stopping the run is the key — because no one can throw on the secondary that Brown headlines.

“And they know it,” he says.

Williams can misfire like this against Good Counsel and live to fight another day. 

The same throw into the St. John’s secondary will result in a change of possession.

For that reason, we’d tend to agree with Brown’s assessment. The key to this game lies in the trenches when Gonzaga has the football. If the Eagles hope to avenge a regular-season loss for the second time in as many weeks, they will have to run the ball effectively, because Williams can’t carry the offense through the air — and he can’t afford to take chances.

The freshman has many great days ahead. In fact, No. 18 has an opportunity to become one of the best quarterback prospects to emerge from the WCAC — which is no minor assertion. But on this day, against this team, Warfield and company will have to keep the offense balanced. If they cannot, it seems likely that the Cadets will be celebrating in Landover.

Of course, anything can happen in championship games — as we saw in this very game just a year ago. Gonzaga has a puncher’s chance, and that’s all a team can ask for. 

With a relatively unimpressive college football lineup on Saturday, the WCAC Championship may well offer up some of the most entertaining action of the day — and we’re bringing it to you LIVE on FloFootball.com and the FloSports app.