Tyner senior Christian Keel earned an opportunity at high school football glory and did not miss his chance.
The 6-foot-2, 330-pound offensive lineman drove his way up the middle for a 2-yard rushing score on a call taken out of the Kansas City Chiefs’ playbook where the line and the receivers spin 360 degrees before the snap.
Keel’s touchdown was one of the highlights from Saturday’s 40-0 victory at Brainerd, where the visiting Rams clinched the TSSAA Region 3-3A championship with one game left in the regular season.
“We called it the ‘Big Chris Play,'” Keel said after Tyner, ranked No. 4 in Class 3A in the most recent Tennessee Sports Writers Association state poll, improved to 8-1 and 2-0 in region play while dropping the Panthers to 1-8, 1-2. “Coach (Christian) Mainor called me over and asked if I wanted to run the ball. Of course I wanted to say yes, because every lineman dreams of running the ball and scoring a touchdown.”
The special memory for Keel is one he earned after years of hard work with the Rams.