It took a while for the Coffee Trojans to perk up. Once it did, they poured it on against the Bradwell Institute Tigers.

Coffee opened the third quarter with three touchdowns in a span of 7 minutes and 2 seconds, pulling away from the Tigers for a 42-13 Region 1-AAAAA win Friday night. Coffee, ranked as high as No. 5 in the state, improved to 5-1 with the win in the region opener. Bradwell fell to 0-6.

The Tigers, a considerable underdog in the game, trailed just 21-7 at the half. But it took the Trojans just two plays to get brewing in the second half, as Fred Brown broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown run. Brown scored on a 37yard run on Coffee’s next possession, and Tyrese Woodgett’s 54-yard punt return for a touchdown with 4:58 to play in the third stretched the lead to 42-7.

Bradwell, haunted by special teams gaffes throughout the game, got a break when a punt bounced off a Trojans blocker, and the Tigers recovered at their own 40. Two plays later, Christopher Garrett’s pass to Adarian Samples bounced off Samples’ shoulder pads and wound up in Caden Guy’s hands. Guy turned upfield and raced away from the Trojans defense for a 72-yard touchdown with 2:11 to play in the third quarter.

Coffee struck first in the game. Jakeem Williams blocked a Bradwell punt, and Tyriq Edwards ran it back for a touchdown with 7:10 left in the first game.

The Trojans blocked a Bradwell field goal attempt, but a timeout called just before the ball was snapped negated that play. A holding penalty also wiped out Patrick McCall’s apparent 63-yard punt return for a touchdown.

The Tigers answered on their second possession of the game, as Garrett found an open Guy in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard TD pass. Bradwell outgained Coffee 112-96 and ran 28 plays to the Trojans’ 18.

The Trojans, though, held Bradwell to 25 yards on 30 rushing attempts, getting seven sacks and eight tackles for losses.

Antwain McDuffie had a 23-yard touchdown run for the Trojans, and Maurice Hansley threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Range Robinson for a 21-7 Coffee lead.

The Trojans ran for 123 yards on just 12 carries in the second half and finished with 275 yards of offense. Bradwell had 258 yards, getting 233 through the air.

Emotions ran high after the game, with a brief incident involving the teams that was broken up quickly.

Bradwell hosts Ware County, the top-ranked team in Class AAAAA, on October 14.