The Tyner Rams wanted to make a statement Friday night at Chattanooga Christian School.
They did just that with their 48-21 road win against the Chargers, avoiding the need for any late heroics a week after rallying for a one-point victory in the final minute at Silverdale Baptist Academy. The Rams, ranked sixth in TSSAA Class 3A, are 2-0 with a pair of victories against Division II-AA programs.
Tyner coach Christian Mainor said the biggest key for his team in this one was the ability to control things from the onset and not allow the Chargers (1-1) to fight their way back into it.
“You look at last year, and we played a lot of close games, but we couldn’t put good teams away. CCS is a good team, very well coached,” Mainor said, adding that “for us to come out and put it away” was big.
Tyner senior quarterback Tyler Anderson threw two touchdown passes and scored twice on the ground.
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night’s Chattanooga-area prep football games)
“I just started taking what the defense gave me, started making throws, started making runs,” he said. “I knew I had good playmakers to get the ball to, too.”
Anderson capped a 10-play, 71-yard opening drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to D’Aerion McNealy. CCS responded on the ground during its first possession, putting the ball into the hands of Alex Swopes seven times for 49 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown as the Chargers made it 7-7.
The remainder of the half belonged to the Rams.
A 52-yard bomb from Anderson to Dion Edwards and a 43-yard scramble by Anderson put the Rams on the 1-yard line in back-to-back possessions. Anderson and LeCarrus Moten capped each of those drives on the ground, pushing the lead to 21-7.
Tyner found the end zone again minutes later, this time with a 32-yard carry from Anderson to make it 28-7, and Jumocka Willis returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown that sent the Rams into halftime ahead 34-7.
In the fourth quarter, the Chargers got a 2-yard touchdown pass from Nathan DeLoach to Bently Banks, whose interception set up the score. Noah Shrum added another touchdown for CCS on a 5-yard carry.
Tyner added two more touchdowns in the period: a 69-yard run by Marcus Turner and a 65-yard pass from Anderson to Karontae Cunningham.
Contact Montana Findley at sports@timesfreepress.com.