It was a Starr performance.

Senior Ryan Starr kicked a 38-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining in the game to lift Fayetteville to a wild 30-28 victory over North Little Rock in the semifinals of the Class 7A playoffs Friday night at North Little Rock Stadium.

Fayetteville (9-3) will meet Bentonville for the state championship next Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

It will be the third consecutive meeting in the final between the 7A-West powers, a first since the state’s largest two classifications merged following the 1982 season.

North Little Rock (10-2) had a nine-game winning streak snapped in gut-wrenching fashion — again — in the semifinals at home.

North Little Rock was also eliminated in 2006 by Fort Smith Southside (40-34 in double overtime) and by Southside in 2009 (24-23).

“Disappointed for my seniors, because it’s such a good group,” North Little Rock Coach Brad Bolding said. “But it is what it is.”

The Charging Wildcats, who trailed 24-6 early in the fourth quarter, were poised to reach the championship game for the first time after senior tailback Altee Tenpenny , on a hook-and-lateral, scored from the 3 with 32 seconds remaining.

Sophomore quarterback Heath Land then completed a pass for two points to senior Gary Vines to give North Little Rock its only lead, 28-27.

But Fayetteville, out of timeouts, needed only two completions and 25 seconds to erase it.

“Unbelievable,” Fayetteville Coach Daryl Patton said. “We practice that. We practice having success. We’ve practiced it so many times, the kids didn’t panic. It all started with the kickoff return.”

Senior Cole Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the Fayetteville 42 with 27 seconds remaining.

Senior quarterback Austin Allen then completed a 13-yard pass to junior running back Braydon Cook and a 24-yard pass to junior wide receiver Jordan Dennis, who raced across the field on a crossing pattern, and got out of bounds with 11 seconds remaining.

Patton then called for Starr, whose attempt was briefly delayed after what appeared to be a squeeze bottle thrown from the North Little Rock stands landed near the line of scrimmage.

Starr promptly drilled his third, and most important, field goal of the game.

Starr, who joined the team shortly before the season began, had given Fayetteville a 24-6 lead on an 18-yard field goal with 10:30 remaining.

But North Little Rock countered on a 39-yard touchdown reception by Tenpenny, who also ran for two points to draw the Charging Wildcats within 24-14 with 8:52 to play.

Starr kicked a 32-yard field goal to make it 27-14 at 6:41, but North Little Rock answered again, this time on a 67-yard touchdown reception by junior fullback Deon Tidwell with 5:43 remaining.

Trailing 27-20, North Little Rock used Vines’ 22-yard punt return to the Fayetteville 16 to set up Tenpenny’s 3-yard touchdown, which came after taking a pitch off a pass completion.

“That’s good football team,” Patton said. “They’re so explosive and make big plays.”

Allen finished 19 of 37 for 277 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran 1 yard for another score on Fayetteville’s first possession of the game, which started at the North Little Rock 25 following a blocked punt.

Fayetteville extended a 14-6 halftime lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Dennis with 7:39 left in the third quarter.

Dennis finished with 9 receptions for 116 yards.

Tenpenny was was limited to 50 yards rushing on 18 carries, but North Little Rock finished with 239 yards passing.

“I didn’t think we had it sewed up until we were running on the field at the end,” Patton said.