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.

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