Jabari Small scores 4 TDs but Briarcrest falls in quarterfinals for eighth year in a row

Briarcrest and Ensworth traded big offensive plays all night, but a failed two-point conversion attempt was the difference in the Saints' 35-33 DII-AAA quarterfinal loss on Friday.

The Tigers (8-3) advance to play McCallie next Friday in the semifinals. The Saints (9-2) have lost in the quarterfinals every year since 2012. 

"It's just the little things. There wasn't a whole lot separating this game," Briarcrest coach Brian Stewart said. "It just hurts to go through this and see those kids be so close and have such a magical season and see it end in these quarterfinals every time."

Ole Miss running back commitment Jabari Small scored four touchdowns for Briarcrest, including a 65-yard catch when he was hit in the backfield, ran over the defender, and raced down the sideline for the score. 

"I saw he was playing with inside leverage so I wanted to just take it at him and I knew he couldn't tackle me so I just tried to take it at him, drive my feet, and finish the play," Small said. 

Ensworth blocked a Briarcrest extra point attempt in the third quarter, forcing the Saints to go for two on their final drive after Small scored with 2:37 remaining . 

But the Tigers bottled him up on the two point conversion attempt and ran out the clock.

"He's a special kid. We had trouble all night trying to contain him, but I thought we did a great job containing him when we needed to," Ensworth coach Roc Batten said. "Especially late in the game on that two-point conversion. But, he's special and you can see why he's going to Ole Miss."

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The Tigers were able to hit on a number of deep passes that opened up other options for the offense. 

"We scored points, but we just gave up big plays. We can't give up big plays. We blocked a punt, you've got to stick it in right there and we don't," Stewart said.  "Then they come back with a big play. We'd make one and they'd make one. We missed an extra point, that was tough."

It was an emotional elimination the Saints, who won their first nine games before dropping their final two at home. 

"We just didn't finish. That's it. That's all I can say. It's a bad feeling," four-star lineman Omari Thomas said. "It's not the feeling that I like to feel or the team likes to feel. We know that, and we don't have a chance to come back and fix it."