Tyner’s robust offensive surge helped overcome a plethora of penalties in a 41-18 win Friday night over nonregion rival Brainerd. The Rams’ home win was their fourth in a row against the Panthers.
“We did well in spurts on offense and defense, but we made too many mistakes we can’t make down the road,” Tyner coach Wayne Turner said. “We’re trying to get ready for the playoffs, so hopefully tonight was a learning experience. When we want to, we can really play.”
Tyner (8-1) showed its potential might with 27 points in the first half behind quarterback Martavius Ryals. Ryals tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Stoudemire in the first quarter and another for 76 yards to open the scoring in the second quarter. He added a 6-yard strike to Jeremiah Batiste with 7:20 to play in the first half.
Tyner’s final points of the half came on Kamden Edwards’ 1-yard rush. The scoring outburst negated a slow half full of penalties – a trend that continued after halftime.
“We know when we play Brainerd, there’s going to be a lot of jawing,” Turner said. “That’s why we got so many penalties. It’s a big rivalry for these guys. Hopefully we can eliminate that down the road and get back to playing football.”
Brainerd (3-6) kept it to a 27-12 deficit with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Xiyeer Lattimore to LeDarrion Freeman in the first quarter and a 9-yard run by Robert North with 2:49 to go before halftime.
That gave the Panthers a fighting chance after a scoreless third quarter in which they held most of the possession. A 42-yard strike from Lattimore to Derquantis Wynn pulled the visitors back within nine points. However, Tyner turned the offensive jets back on.
On the ensuing possession, a facemask penalty gave the Rams some yardage, and then Batiste burned his defender for a 69-yard touchdown pass from Ryals. Batiste caught passes from both quarterbacks, as he finished with 109 yards on seven catches on offense and two interceptions on defense.
Ryals slammed the door shut with 3:07 to go, breaking through the line for a 14-yard scoring run. Tyner’s defense also shone by allowing just 144 yards of total offense while generating six sacks and the two interceptions.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.