By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

ROSWELL – The Blessed Trinity Titans broke open a close game in the second half to beat the Troup Tigers 40-14 in the opening round of the Class AAAA state playoffs.

The Tigers produced a touchdown midway through the third quarter to get within 10, but the two-time defending state-champion Titans scored the game’s final 16 points.

Trailing 7-0, Troup took the lead early in the second quarter on a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

Trey Williams scored on a 15-yard run, and holder Nick Schweizer completed a pass to Jabralin Gooden on the two-point play, giving Troup an 8-7 lead.

The Titans reclaimed the lead with a field goal, and they added a touchdown late in the half to go up 17-8.

The Titans added another touchdown early in the third quarter to take a 24-8 lead.

The Tigers answered with a 34-yard scoring pass from quarterback Kobe Hudson to Trey Williams to make it a 10-point game.

The Titans put the game away with 16 fourth-quarter points, scoring two touchdowns and also getting two points on a safety.

Troup, which finished fourth in Region 5-AAAA to qualify for the state playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, closed with a 6-5 record.

Blessed Trinity, which also beat Troup in the state semifinals last season, will host a second-round game next week as it continues to pursue a third consecutive state title.