Blessed Trinity, Cartersville punch tickets to state finals

Defending state champion Blessed Trinity, and Cartersville—the winner of the previous two Class AAAA crowns—are set to meet in the state championship at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 12. Blessed Trinity was a 51-35 victory over Troup, and Cartersville prevailed 17-14 over Marist in last night’s semis.

Blessed Trinity returned the opening kickoff 83 yards and quarterback Jake Smith ran in a 7-yard touchdown on the following play to give the Titans an early 7-0 lead. Fast starts have been the signature left on much of Blessed Trinity’s triumphs under the leadership of head coach Tim McFarlin and his star-studded Class of 2018. Yesterday’s semifinals were no exception. The Titans raced out to a 34-6 lead at the half before bleeding out the clock. Ohio State commit Steele Chambers kept Blessed Trinity in constant control, and finished the game with 240 yards on a career-high 36 carries, while adding three rushing scores and a passing touchdown.

Cartersville went up 10-0 over Marist midway through the second quarter following a 26-yard Oscar Hernandez field goal and a 33-yard touchdown pass from Tee Webb to Devonte Ross, but Marist used two late first-half touchdowns to go up 14-10. The first War Eagles touchdown came on a Lincoln Parker goal line run with 1:20 left, and Jalen Clark strip-sacked Webb and returned it for a touchdown on Cartersville’s next offensive possession. The Purple Hurricanes’ game-winning touchdown came with 7:51 left, on a drive that was kept alive by a costly roughing the kicker penalty committed by Marist. Webb escaped the pressure and threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Devonte Ross.