As finales go, this was a closure to commemorate.
Moments after Tyner Academy held off Austin-East’s furious late rally to claim a 65-58 Class 2A sectional win, current players cut down the nets in celebration while numerous former Rams roamed the floor for one last look around and shot videos on their cell phones.
It was the final game inside Tyner’s historic gym — which opened for the 1975-76 season and hosted many of the city’s most classic prep hardwood battles. The building will be demolished in the coming days as the Rams move into their sparkling new home next year — but before the lights were turned off one last time everyone with ties to the program wanted to leave with some sort of souvenir.
“We’re going to cherish this one for a little bit,” said Rams coach E’Jay Ward, whose program had lost on the road in the sectional round each of the last two years but punched its ticket back to the state tournament after a two-year absence. Tyner will face Memphis Business Academy, a team that has advanced to the state semifinals two of the past three seasons.
“Playing in this gym is the reason winning the region meant so much to us. Just to get this chance to play this game at home,” Ward added. “We knew what type of home-court advantage we would have here, especially with it being the last game that will be played here.”