ST. MARTIN, Mississippi -- St. Martin gave the Gulfport Admirals all they could handle Friday night, rallying from a 28-7 deficit before falling 35-34 when a two-point try with 3:29 left in the game came up short in the Region 4-6A opener for both teams. Gulfport opened the 28-7 lead by halftime, led as usual by quarterback T.Q. Newsome, headed for Southern Miss next fall. Newsome accounted for 236 yards in offense and four touchdowns -- two through the air, two on the ground. But as the second half unfolded, the Yellow Jackets began to chip away at the lead and, when quarterback Mileon Graham ran for an 8-yard touchdown in the closing moments of the third quarter, the score was tied 28-28. Midway through the fourth quarter, Newsome gave his team the lead again when he connected with Deshun Shields on a 13-yard touchdown pass for a 35-28 lead. Roughly three minutes later, Graham connected with running back Ham McGee on a 20-yard touchdown pass to bring the 'Jackets to within one at 35-34 with 3:39 remaining. Eschewing the extra point try to tie the game, St. Martin head coach Eddie Wayne Whitehead opted to go for two points and the win, but Graham's run came up short of the goal line. Contacted by The Mississippi Press Saturday morning, Whitehead was asked about the decision to go for two rather than tie the game. "Why do you think I'd go for two?" Whitehead said -- and then hung up. St. Martin would get another offensive possession before the end of the game, but the Gulfport defense got the necessary stop to preserve the win. St. Martin, now 3-2 overall and 0-1 in region play, will host Hancock next week. Gulfport improved to 4-1 and 1-0, respectively, and will host Pascagoula.