Joey Mathis struggled for words as he held up a tiny hourglass in which all the sand had settled to the bottom, metaphorically signaling that time finally had run out on his Marion County Warriors' football season.
"It's not the way we wanted it to end. That scoreboard will not define our season or what we have accomplished,'' Mathis said Friday night to his gathered team.
Behind him, that scoreboard read Tyner 42, Marion County 7.
And while Mathis and the Jasper community should celebrate the accomplishments of an impressive senior class, the truth is that time pretty much ran out on the Warriors midway through the first quarter of the TSSAA 2A state quarterfinal against the unwavering Rams.
"We just didn't have an answer for them," Mathis said. "They controlled the offensive line and the defensive line. They are a better football team than the one we played earlier in the season and we are a better football team, but we simply couldn't match up with what they brought tonight."
What the Rams brought was fire and brimstone, thunder and lightning, right punch and left punch. In a game that matched two programs playing in a combined 90th playoff game, Tyner was all but flawless with the exception of one play.
Marion quarterback Isaiah Sampson took a delayed draw straight up the gut for an 82-yard touchdown a little more than four minutes into the game for the night's first points. Apparently, it made Tyner mad.
The Rams (11-2) scored 42 unanswered points and limited Marion County (7-6) to 42 yards in its next eight possessions. The Warriors gained 43 yards on their final drive. Marion had six three-and-outs in 10 possessions and Mr. Tennessee Finalist Jacob Saylors was held to 8 yards on 12 carries.
"We had to get after them, shut them down. That was the only thing on our mind tonight. We've got goals and they were standing in the way," said big Rams tackle Tracey Justice, who was one of many unblockable defenders on the night.
Added Tyner coach Wayne Turner: "After that one play, they didn't accomplish a whole lot tonight."
Tyner quarterback Jaylen Bowens was once again masterful running the offense. He connected on four touchdown passes (three of them to Jeremiah Batiste), but none was more impressive than the final 46-yarder to Batiste. Bowens did his best Michael Vick impression, avoiding three would-be sackers, scrambling to his left and at the last minute launching the long pass to Batiste, who was all alone.
"Bowens can throw the ball as well as anybody around," Turner said. "We can pass to some receivers who can go get, we can pound it up the middle, and we can run it outside. It's a good mixture."
And the Rams did a little bit of it all. Bowens passed for 161 yards, Batiste caught four passes for 94 yards, Tyon Young ran for 81 yards up the middle and Jeremy Elston rushed for 62 yards on the outside. Young scored on a 32-yard run and Elston had a 4-yard TD burst. Martavius Ryals caught a 25-yard TD pass just before halftime to make it 28-7.
"I don't know what it is about needing to get slapped early by the other team scoring a touchdown, but man, this team responds," Bowens said.
The win catapults Tyner into a 2A semifinal next Friday at Rockwood, a 9-8 upset winner over top-ranked Meigs County. It will be the fourth state semifinal game in Tyner history.
Marion's senior class set a school record for games played, including three state finals, and finished with a four-year mark of 45-12.
Contact James Beach at sports@timesfreepress.com