MAGEE &8212; For the fourth straight year, the Jefferson County Tigers could not get out of the first round of the Class 3A South State playoffs as the Magee Trojans hung on for a 26-20 win Friday night.

Four turnovers, three of them fumbles, and two big touchdowns in the third quarter by Magee (8-2), the No. 7 team in Class 3A and the Region 8-3A runner-up, cost Jefferson County (6-5 and the No. 3 seed in Region 6-3A) a chance to advance.

The Tigers could not stop Trojan quarterback Tawan Easterling, who threw three touchdown passes &8212; two to Montez Chatman in the first half and a tie-breaking 25-yard pass to Joseph McDonald early in the third quarter.

Vernon Smith scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter and Kristopher Williams scored on a 21-yard pass from Percy Turner in the second quarter.

Jimmie Shorter, who ran for 182 yards on 24 carries, added the two-point conversion after the Turner-to-Williams scoring pass that made it a 14-14 score at halfitme.

But Easterling&8217;s touchdown pass to McDonald with 9:47 remaining in the third quarter gave Magee the lead for good.

Michael Magee added a 7-yard touchdown run with 1:23 left in that same quarter for a 26-14 lead.

Jefferson County tried to get back in the game, but Turner&8217;s 47-yard pass to Anthony Williams in the fourth quarter was not quite enough.