Jefferson found itself trailing by four touchdowns in its first-round playoff game against Point Pleasant when Big Black quarterback Aden Yates threw for scores to Cody Mitchell (50 yards), Jonathan Peterson (13 yards), Garrett Litchfield (31 yards) and Jacob Wamsley (17 yards).

However, the Cougars made a concentrated run at the large deficit, scoring the game’s next three touchdowns to trail by only eight points early in the fourth quarter.

Point Pleasant — now unbeaten at 10-0 — scored the game’s last 10 points to grab a 38-20 win and move into this weekend’s quarterfinals with a Saturday 1:30 p.m. date in Martinsburg against the once-beaten Bulldogs.

Jefferson’s season ended with a 7-4 overall record.

The Cougars mounted their rally behind the passing arm of Adam King, who went 22-for-38 through the air for 347 yards, three scores and one interception.

The Cougars trailed, 21-0, at halftime and then Point Pleasant counted the first score of the second half.

King found Christian Johnson for a 70-yard score and then in rapid-fire order King connected with Johnson from 65 yards out and found Craye Nehler on a 37-yard scoring play. It was 28-20 with the Big Blacks still holding the disappearing lead.

Dylan Lunsford kicked a 21-yard field goal to advance the Point Pleasant lead to 31-20 and then Cody Marcus closed out the scoring with his eight-yard run with just over a minute remaining.

Johnson’s two touchdown receptions gave him 24 TD catches for the 11-game season. His 22 scoring catches during the 10-game regular season gave him the West Virginia state record for a single season.

The playoff appearance was Jefferson’s first since the 2005 season.