ROSWELL — Jefferson football was left wondering what might have been on Friday.
The Dragons watched turnovers, missed assignments and a stout Blessed Trinity defense combine to keep the visitors' offense at bay for much of the night in a 38-12 win for the Titans in a Class AAA playoff showdown in Roswell.
Blessed Trinity also had chances to stumble but simply refused -- despite losing its starting quarterback and running back to first quarter injuries. When Conor Davis and Milton Shilton went down -- both seniors -- plenty of other players stepped in to fill the gaps, including freshman quarterback Jake Smith and senior running back Garrett Dupuis.
Jefferson (10-2) actually took a 3-0 lead before falling behind 17-3 -- only to storm back within 17-12. But the Titans (11-0-1) absorbed the shot and charged right back behind Smith and Dupuis, the pair creating three fourth quarter touchdowns to seal the win. Dupuis finished the game with 107 yards rushing and four scores on 18 carries, while Smith completed 12 of 14 passes for 204 yards and a score.
Their performances helped carry the Titans into the state quarterfinals, where they will take on first-time quarterfinalist Dawson County -- the site of the contest is to be determined by coin flip on Saturday.
The Dragons season, meanwhile, is now complete -- though Jefferson's seniors leave as the winningest class in program history after compiling a 46-7 mark during their four seasons, including the 2012 Class AA title.
"I'm proud of my seniors and the way they led this season when no one really gave them a shot before the year," Jefferson coach Ben Hall said. "They have had tremendous careers here, and this is where the program is at now -- but nobody is satisfied with this."
Jefferson looked set to respond to Blessed Trinity's 10-3 halftime lead with something spectacular, using a 13-yard Zack Boobas touchdown run and a 25-yard Hayden Kilgore field goal (one of two on the night for Kilgore) to pull within 17-12 with just 39 seconds left in the third quarter.
But the Blessed Trinity responded emphatically, marching 85 yards on five plays to regain a 24-12 cushion on a three-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Dupuis. The Titans then forced a turnover on downs from the Dragons near midfield and scored on the ensuing possession thanks to a 10-yard scamper from Dupuis to begin pulling away.
"We had opportunities in the first half to grab more momentum, but we had some drive-killing penalties and some missed assignments, and when you play a team like that little things get magnified," Hall said. "I'm proud of our effort, but there were just too many mistakes."
The Titans defense also played a significant role, largely keeping standout running back Colby Wood in check, as the sophomore managed 83 yards on 23 carries. Quarterback Bryce Moore completed 17 of 29 passes for 155 yards but was also intercepted twice.
Meanwhile, Blessed Trinity's Ryan Davis also provided some key moments for the hosts, hauling in six passes for 112 yards.
SCORING SUMMARY
JEFFERSON..............3....0....9.....0 -- 12
BLESSED TRINITY....7....3....7....21 -- 38
First Quarter
JHS -- Kilgore 26 field goal, 4:09, 3-0
BT -- Dupuis 8 run (Hosea kick) :25, 3-7
Second Quarter
BT -- Hosea 37 field goal, 3:19, 3-10
Third Quarter
BT -- Hamilton 6 run (Hosea kick) 8:55, 3-17
JHS -- Boobas 13 run (kick failed) 5:33, 9-17
JHS -- Kilgore 25 field goal, :39, 12-17
Fourth Quarter
BT -- Dupuis 3 pass from Smith (Hosea kick) 9:54, 12-24
BT -- Dupuis 10 run (Hosea kick) 5:36, 12-31
BT -- Dupuis 12 run (Hosea kick) :52, 12-38
