Battle-Tested Tyner Rams Face Their Ultimate Challenge: Slowing Down 5-Star QB Jared Curtis and Nashville Christian

By Staff Writer Jay Pace (@TheRealJayPace)

Tyner Academy Faces Its Biggest Test Yet: Can the Rams Defense Slow Down Nashville Christian and 5-Star QB Jared Curtis?

All season long, Tyner has faced one test after another.

Whether it's the lack of a true home stadium, forcing the Rams to play a majority of their games on the road. Or the difficult by design non-region schedule third year head coach Christian Mainor assembled this off-season. The Rams have also played with a target on their back. That's what happens when you've got a roster with blue chip talent, a spot in the weekly top 10 and you're undefeated at 7-0 for just the fourth time in school history.

Battle Tested

In week one it was a nail biter vs. Silverdale Academy. Two weeks later, it was another narrow win on the road at Red Bank. Last weekend, a pair of timely special teams plays bailed them out against Chattanooga Prep 46-37.

Every test Tyner has been given, the Rams have passed. 

But tonight in Nashville, the script is officially flipped as the Rams go from the hunter to the hunted as the nations #1 QB, Jared Curtis and Nashville Christian await.

Curtis and RB TJ Ward Jr. form one of the states most formidable duo’s. Load up to stop one and the other will hurt you. 

Curtis, a 5 star quarterback who's committed to the University of Georgia, is one of the country's most sought after quarterback prospects in years. Ward Jr, is a 3-star running back, who holds offers from Auburn among others. He has rushed for 742 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2025. He averages 11.2 yards per carry. 

The defending Division II-A champs have won 16 straight dating back to 2024 and have won 18 of their last 22. Currently, they sit all alone atop the latest TSWA Division II-A  rankings.

While Curtis gets the lion's share of the attention, Ward Jr. is the second part of a two headed monster offensively that has averaged over 49 points over the last two seasons. 

Rarely, have they played much beyond the third quarter. If Tyner hopes to change that trend, it's going to  start upfront along the interior.

Disrupt & Pressure

Slowing Curtis down isn’t just about pressure, it’s about disruption. Tyner’s defense has to get Curtis off-script. If he’s comfortable in the pocket, this game could be over by halftime.

If Tyner expects to win it must throw everything at him, disguised coverages, delayed blitzes, and pre-snap confusion. The Rams don’t have the luxury of sitting back in soft zones, not against a quarterback who picks defenses apart the way Curtis does.

Win, lose or draw, this is the kind of test Tyner needs with the playoffs just over the horizon.

It's not the final exam but it will certainly go a long way in determining what to expect the rest of the way.