HAZLEHURST — The Jefferson County High School Tigers nearly came back from a big deficit, but a pair of missed two-point conversions allowed  Hazlehurst High School to escape with a 28-26 MHSAA Region 7-3A win Friday night.

Down 22-0 after Julius Brown’s 90-yard punt return for a touchdown with 9:38 left in the third quarter, all looked lost for Jefferson County (2-6, 1-2). But the Tigers would not go away quietly — not even on the road.

Gailrontrae Fells had two touchdown passes and one touchdown run as the Tigers cut the deficit to 22-20 with 7:35 left in the game. However, a touchdown by Class 3A No. 5 Hazlehurst (7-2, 3-0) allowed the Indians to put a little distance between themselves and the Tigers.

Yet Jefferson County had one last chance to send the game into overtime after Ke’shawn Brinkley’s 1-yard touchdown pass from Fells to, once again make it a two-point game. But the 2-point conversion run was no good.

Jefferson County hosts longtime Region 7-3A rival Franklin County next Friday at 7 p.m.