Treating a state championship showdown like just another game may be difficult for some people to fathom.

But that’s exactly what Mars boys basketball coach Rob Carmody wants his team to do Friday night.

The Planets will face Neumann-Goretti in the PIAA Class AAA final at 8 p.m. at the Giant Center in Hershey.

“There’s going to be an adjustment period, getting used to playing in a big arena,” he said, “but after the first few minutes, it becomes just another game. The team that does a better job of treating it like that should be successful.

“There are 189 Class AAA teams in the state and we’re one of the final two. Our kids are excited about it.”

While Mars (23-6) is making its first appearance in the state finals, Neumann-Goretti is no stranger to this stage.

The Saints (26-4), members of Philadelphia’s Catholic League, have been members of the PIAA for just eight seasons. But they have won five of the last six state titles, including the last two.

“The older kids show the younger ones what we’ve built here and how to carry themselves,” said veteran Saints coach Carl Arrigale. “We have created a culture here and want to keep it going.”

Carmody is well aware of Neumann-Goretti’s previous success.

“But we’re not playing their history. It’s not a best-of-7,” he said. “We just have to find a way to compete and battle for 32 minutes and hopefully, that will be enough.”

Neumann-Goretti’s starting five consists of guards Vaughn Covington and Quade Green, forwards Rasheed Browne and Zane Martin and 6-foot-8 junior center Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree.

“They are very quick and aggressive,” Carmody said. “Cosby-Roundtree has arms that seem to go on forever. They don’t have many areas that you can attack.”

All five Saint starters average double digits in points per game, led by Martin and Green at 19 apiece.

“That’s been our starting five all season,” said Arrigale. “And we don’t use our bench too much.”

That’s one area where the Planets have an advantage with senior forward Alex Gruber.

Gruber was an all-section player last year, but sustained a foot injury in the first game of the season. He returned late in the regular season and has played in every game since, averaging 7.8 points and eight rebounds as a vital sixth man.

“You never want to see a kid lose his starting spot because of injury,” said Carmody, “but when Alex came back, we were in the middle of finishing out our section schedule and didn’t want to break up the continuity. He’s been great about it and he’s like having a sixth starter out there.”

The Planets will start guards Aaron Gruber, Christian Schmitt and Robby Carmody, forward Steve Castello and center John Castello.

Carmody leads the team with 19.4 points per game and John Castello remains a double-double machine at 18.1 points and 13 rebounds.

“They look like a talented group,” Arrigale said of the Planets. “They have decent size for a high school team and shoot the ball well. We will have to play a good game to win.”

The Saints will try and slow down a Planet offense that shot 64 percent (14-of-22) in the first half of Tuesday’s semifinal win over Bishop McDevitt.

“You have to have kids who are buying in and sharing the ball,” Coach Carmody said. “We didn’t take a bad shot Tuesday night.”

Win or lose, Friday’s game will be the final high school action on the hardwood for Mars’ 13 seniors.

“I told the kids and the parents before the season that I didn’t want the season to start,” said Coach Carmody. “Once it starts, there’s going to be an end to it, whether that came in February or March.

“It’s going to be tough to see these kids leave, but I can’t think of a better stage for them to go out on.”