Marion is big test for resilient Rams
When the Tyner Rams held on for a 26-24 win against Decatur-Riverside in the Class 2A BlueCross Bowl last December at Finley Stadium, they delivered the second TSSAA football state title in school history and first since 1997.
Eight months later, Tyner entered this season facing obstacles not typical for a reigning champion.
In addition to graduating 16 starters from their 14-win team, the Rams had a change at head coach, moved up in classification to 3A, and also knew they would have to deal with having no true home field for practices or games this fall with construction underway on a new high school and athletic facilities.
“Right away we had some challenges presented to us on the first day of spring practice,” said first-year head coach Christian Mainor, who spent the last two years as Tyner’s offensive coordinator. “We come out to the practice field at Tyner Middle, and there is soccer on one half of the field and the track team is using parts of the field as well.
“But like our guys always do here, we adapt and overcome. We haven’t used the fact we have no home field as a crutch. At the end of the day, we have had to do the best we can to win football games. I want our guys to have a challenge — one they can rally and unite behind.”
Nearly all of Tyner’s skill position players from last year’s graduated, including quarterback and Tennessee Titans Mr. Football winner Josh Jackson as well as receiver Trae Ruffin, who scored 10 touchdowns in five playoff victories. The only real experience that returned on offense came from linemen Monteast Moore, Davin Pasley and Chase Thompson, and Jaeden Isbell and Sharkem Wells were the only two full-time starters who returned on defense.
During a preseason media day, Mainor gave an honest assessment when he said the Rams wouldn’t “be very good at the beginning of the season, but if our guys can lead and grow in the right way, we will have a chance to be playing some meaningful ball by the time October hits. That’s when we want to be playing our best ball.”
And after starting a challenging schedule 0-3 with lopsided losses to Red Bank, Bradley Central and McMinn County, the Rams have shown they learned from those tough lessons by beginning Region 3-3A play with three consecutive victories to reach .500 overall.
The Rams were resilient in each region game, winning thanks to a late rushing touchdown after trailing in the second half. They beat Central 27-21 in overtime on Sept. 8 at Finley, won 14-12 on Sept. 16 at Brainerd as a touchdown and a 2-point run with 1:43 remaining made the difference, then won 28-22 against Sweetwater at Finley last Friday, when the winning score came with 54 seconds to play.
Now the Rams visit Class 2A’s thirdranked Marion County (6-0) on Friday night for another big test, then travel to McMinn Central next week for an important Region 3-3A game.
“Tyner is a special place,” Mainor said. “What a lot of people don’t know is our starters only played all four quarters a total of four times last year. Our starters now are some of those backups who got valuable Friday night experience. They have faced pressure before.”