Ryan Gross moved in unmarked at the far post, heading a corner kick just wide of the goal in the third minute of the game.
It was a mistake the Davis-Yolo striker wouldn't repeat.
Marking has been an issue for the Golden Valley defense all season, and it finally caught up with the Cougars on Thursday night at Veterans Stadium.
Gross rocked GV by heading in a hat trick in the opening 23 minutes of Thursday's Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 semifinal, each time sprinting in untouched.
It was a hole that proved just too much to overcome as the Blue Devils held off a second-half surge for a 4-2 victory.
It's Davis fourth finals appearance in the last five years, with its only hiccup coming in a 2009 semifinals loss to the Cougars.
The Blue Devils will meet their archrival Jesuit in Saturday's title game, after it dispatched of West 5-0 in the other semifinal.
"Goals change games," GV head coach Lee Shaw said. "We came out maybe a little tentative and they strike in the sixth and 12th minute.
"All of a sudden it's a 2-0 game. They start playing differently and we start playing differently.
"It was a tough start, but I was pleased with the way that we answered. We fought back and left it all out there. We have nothing to be ashamed of."
Had Golden Valley (19-5-6) played the opening 25 minutes like it did the rest of the game, it might have been a different story.
The game looked all but over two minutes into the second half when Davis' Collin Holtz shook a pair of defenders on the left wing and floated in a cross that curled into the far post side netting. It was a fortunate play for the Blue Devils, but it gave them an efficient four goals on just seven shots.
"We just took advantage of some things that Golden Valley was giving us," Davis head coach Ashley Yudin said. "They kept trying to cover the posts on our throw-ins and free kicks, so it meant we couldn't be offside.
"We had many more chances in our game against Pleasant Grove, and could only come up with one goal. Tonight they were more scarce, but we made them count."
Despite the 4-0 hole, GV kept pushing back.
The Cougars got on the board in the 45th minute when Jose Hernandez was tripped in the box.
Daniel Byrne calmly converted the penalty kick to make it 4-1.
Byrne and Golden Valley weren't done.
The senior midfielder played one of his best games of the season, orchestrating numerous quality scoring chances by dribble penetrating and then slotting passes through when the defense collapsed on him.
Cody Golbad finally made one of Byrne's passes pay off, ripping a left-footed strike from 26 yards that ricocheted off of the crossbar and then the back of diving Davis keeper Derek Pleasants for the goal.
Golbad almost made it a very interesting last five minutes when he ripped another dipping shot off the bottom of the crossbar. This one went straight down and bounced away from the line. Adan Becera had a crack at the rebound, but put his shot over the bar.
GV outshot Davis 21-12 in the game.
"I think we came out with a little bit of nerves," Byrne said. "This was the biggest game of some of our lives.
"Unfortunately, they got the quick 3-0 lead.
"I was proud of the way we came back. There were a few plays here or there that could have really changed things, but that's the way it goes."
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