Tyner holds off Riverside rally for first TSSAA football championship since 1997

CHATTANOOGA – Tyner Academy held off Riverside's late rally to win the program's first TSSAA football state championship since 1997.

The Rams beat Riverside 26-24 after stopping the Panthers on a 2-point pass attempt that was caught short of the goal line in the Class 2A championship game on Saturday.

The win came in the Chattanooga high school's last year in its current building. The school is being torn down after the school year. A new school is set to open by fall of 2024.

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Riverside (12-3) was playing in its first TSSAA championship game.

Riverside trimmed Tyner's lead to two on Desmond Thomas' touchdown with 40 seconds remaining. That capped a nine-play, 81-yard drive.

Tyner (14-1) came back from an 18-14 deficit to take a 26-18 lead with 10:18 left after a Travius Ruff 21-yard TD catch from Joshua Jackson and a McKinley Markel 17-yard TD run.

Jackson was 10-of-25 passing for 111 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 45 yards. Markel had 114 rushing yards and a TD on 21 carries. Markel was named the game's MVP.

Riverside's Ethan Quinn was 12-of-19 passing for 143 yards. Thomas had 25 carries for 89 yards with two TDs.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.