It wasn’t just a state title Tallulah Academy was looking for Friday morning when the Trojans met the Briarfield Rebels in the Brickyard at Jackson Academy in Mississippi. TA was also looking for revenge over its rival for a 16-6 loss earlier in the season. And the Trojans came within 12 points and one standout Rebel performance from getting both.
The Trojans came into Friday’s MAIS (Mississippi Association of Independent Schools) championship game with a 9-3 record, with Briarfield responsible for one of those three losses and TA responsible for one of the undefeated, defending state champ Rebels’ 10 wins.
Within minutes it looked as if those roles would reverse as the Trojans defense forced a 3-and-out on Briarfield’s opening offensive possession and answered with a 32-yard rushing score from Carter Sullivan. On the ensuing Rebels possession, Trojans defensive back Austin Mosley stripped the ball from a receiver and recovered the fumble, giving new life to the TA offense.
Firing on all cylinders, it would be less than two minutes from the second quarter before the Rebels were able to stymie the momentum of TA’s ground-and-pound style of offense and give its own a chance to show its big-play potential. With 1:28 to play in the first period, BA quarterback T.J. Baker found a hole in the Trojan defense and broke free for a 69-yard touchdown.
A successful 2-point conversion gave the Rebels the 8-6 lead, but it was short-lived, as TA’s Walker Sullivan returned the ensuing kickoff deep into Briarfield territory - setting up a drive that would end with full back Carter Sullivan punching it in on the ground from two yards out to give the Trojans a 12-8 lead.
Early in the second quarter, the Trojans found themselves behind as Baker once again broke free on the ground, this time for an 88-yard touchdown that would give the Rebels a 2-point lead. Briarfield added to the scoring gap later in the quarter with a pick-6 interception by Rebel Undrea Spencer that would send Briarfield into halftime leading TA 20-12.
Coming out of the locker for the second half, TA Head Coach Bart Wood said he liked what the Trojans did through two quarters.
“We just made a few mistakes,” Wood said. “Kept shooting ourselves in the foot. But, other than that, I thought we did great. We’re gonna try to stick to the same game plan in the second half.”
Wood said part of that game plan had to be finding a way to stop Briarfield’s mobile quarterback.
“They got a guy that can run and sometimes he breaks out,” he said. “We’ve just got to try and contain him and do the best we can.”
Getting the ball to start the second half, Carter Sullivan began working out that game plan, going over 100 yards on the day with a kickoff return to the Briarfield 22-yard line. Minutes later, TA quarterback Dee Morgan kept it on the ground, pounding his way to the Rebels 6-yard line, before running back Paul Michael Machen bounced it out wide to the left side, finding an angle for a Tallulah touchdown. Running back Walker Sullivan capped off the drive with 2-point conversion run to tie things up with Briarfield at 20-20.
Despite the Trojans’ momentum, touchdown runs of 73 and 53 yards from Baker would leave TA trailing 32-20 heading into the final quarter of play. Rallying in the fourth quarter, the Trojans put together a drive that would end with Morgan finding pay dirt on a 1-yard, quarterback sneak. Another 2-point conversion on the ground from Walker Sullivan put TA within a touchdown of the lead, trailing by just four with a 32-28 score.
But adding to his 13 carries for 346 yards and five touchdowns, Baker found the end zone again to extend the scoring gap to 40-28. Answering for Tallulah was Morgan with a 36-yard touchdown to Machen, making it a 40-34 score with just 3:05 left to play.
The Rebels would find the end zone once more, this time through the air with 1:43 left in regulation, putting a chance for Tallulah to retake the lead just out of reach.
With the close loss, the Trojans were able to pile up impressive numbers against the defending 1A champs. Walker Sullivan ended the day with 19 carries for 78 yards. Carter Sullivan finished with 142 yards and a score off 19 carries, with a long run of 34 yards and averaging an eye-popping 7.5 yards per carry. Machen finished with 33 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries, while Morgan ended the game with 33 yards and two scores on 15 carries.
Through the air, Morgan finished the day 6-of-14 for 142 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Machen led in receiving with three catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. Cade Morgan ended the day with two catches for 31 yards.
