Marli Smrz’s memory of her introduction to flag football sounded like any freshman trying a new activity in high school.

“I was just trying to make some new friends,” said Smrz, now a Willowbrook senior. “I didn’t expect anything. This has been like a dream.”

What’s her expectation now?

“Win state,” Smrz said without hesitation.

My, how things have evolved in four years for Smrz and the Warriors, who are playing every bit like a potential state champion.

Willowbrook looked the part on Tuesday. Smrz tossed six touchdown passes to four different receivers and had the first of her team’s two interceptions.

Elizabeth Pettinger, twice at the receiving end of Smrz’s aerial excellence with TDs, later added an interception return for a touchdown to trigger a running clock.

Unbeaten Willowbrook, a state quarterfinalist last season, is headed back to the state tournament on its home field after an emphatic 44-0 win over West Aurora in the South Elgin Sectional final.

Willowbrook (21-0) will play Kenwood in a 7:30 p.m. quarterfinal Friday.

“This is like a dream come true,” Smrz said. “All I wanted all four years is to be going to state. We’re the only team that has done it now every year, and to be a part of it now is huge. And we’re not even close to being done.”

Smrz tossed TD passes of 16 and 7 yards to Jada Langston, 7 and 5 yards to Pettinger, and 10 yards to McKenzie Edison on the final play of the first half for an 18-0 halftime lead.

Smrz’s last throw? A touchdown, of course, to Lily Macias for the game’s final score.

The Warriors’ offense is hard to stop with Smrz spraying passes all over the field to multiple receivers and speedster Janell Adams taking handoffs.

“This is Year 3 together, working alongside each other,” Smrz said. “Early mornings, stay late, training outside of practice. I really feel like a family. Those are my girls, for sure.”

Smrz, sporting a bright pink headband Tuesday, is the maestro that makes it flow.

Willowbrook coach Rachel Karos, who also knew Smrz from softball and coached her in volleyball, noted that Smrz played cornerback her freshman year of flag football.

Smrz was stuck at quarterback as a sophomore, and she hasn’t looked back.

“We asked her to play quarterback her sophomore year after she hadn’t played it. We were like, ‘Hey, you play softball,’ ” Karos said. “As Marli builds her confidence, she can be scary good. She has played every different style of flag there is, and this is the fastest the game is now. Super proud of her.”

For all her passing prowess, Smrz’s most significant play Tuesday was picking off someone else’s pass.

West Aurora (21-3) took the game’s first possession and drove down the field, sophomore quarterback Sarahi Carlos spreading the wealth chunk by chunk to the Willowbrook 12-yard line.

But Smrz stepped in front of a Carlos pass for an interception. It eventually turned into Smrz’s first TD to Langston, halfway through the first quarter.

Willowbrook, after grabbing the momentum, never gave it back.

“That’s my thing is red-zone interceptions,” Smrz said. “Needed momentum the other way, trying to limit the score. Zero is the best.”

Willowbrook’s pretty good at putting up zeroes, Tuesday its 12th shutout of the season.

“Last year we split with them. We know they’re good, well-coached, disciplined. What we learned from last year is this game can break your heart,” Karos said. “Our goal going forward is no snaps off, have an answer for everything.”

West Aurora, which lost to Willowbrook in the sectional final for the second straight year, didn’t have an answer for the Warriors.

And, perhaps, wasn’t at its peak.

West Aurora coach Jordyn McFarlane noted that Carlos was banged up, which affected her agility in the pocket. And then the Blackhawks had two starters go out with injury, one on Willowbrook’s first score.

“Just a bad chain of events,” McFarlane said. “This would have been a very different game. We had five injuries that game, two injuries from last game, our quarterback was banged up, she is usually really agile in the pocket, and we had two starters go out, another one go out with a finger. We ended up with 10 healthy girls.

“Score may not reflect it, but we came out with heart.”