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At a Glance
Matchup: Red Bank Lions at Tyner Rams
Game Time: 7:30 p.m. at Tyner (Time changed by Hamilton County Athletic Director Tim James due to heat)
Series Record: Red Bank leads the all-time series 30-11-1 and has won two of the last three meetings.
Last Meeting: Sept. 5, 2025 — Tyner defeated Red Bank 21-20 at Red Bank.
Tyner Rams
Head Coach: Christian Mainor — 22-14 record, 5th season (2022-current), all at Tyner
2025 Record: 12-2, Region Champions; semifinal loss to Gatlinburg-Pittman, 23-20
2026 Record: 2-0; defeated Chattanooga Christian 44-7 last week
Players to Watch: ATH Deion Edwards, RB JaDarius “JD” Hinton, WR Karontae’ Cunningham
Red Bank Lions
Head Coach: Ted Gatewood — 131-119 career record, 23rd season; 33-16 at Red Bank (2022-current)
2025 Record: 8-5, Region Champions; quarterfinal loss to Alcoa, 38-13
2026 Record: 0-1; open date last week
Players to Watch: QB Austin Jones, WR Marcus Jones, WR Dominic Gordon
A Rivalry Renewed
Last year’s Red Bank vs Tyner matchup was packed, intense and went all the way down to the wire.
Tyner blocked an extra point in the fourth quarter before eventually coming up with a game-sealing interception late to escape Red Bank with a 21-20 road victory.
Now, the two teams meet again.
This time, Tyner enters Friday night 2-0 and rolling, while Red Bank comes out of an early open week looking for its first victory of the season. Leading up to the SOTG Game of the Week, I had the opportunity to visit both campuses, watch the teams prepare and speak one-on-one with both head coaches ahead of what should be one of the biggest games in Chattanooga Friday night.
Red Bank: Nine Weeks of Focus
My first stop was Red Bank, where the Lions were getting after it at practice. Pads were popping, and I stayed for the entire session before catching up with head coach Ted Gatewood afterward.
Red Bank’s open date came unusually early. After opening the season with a loss to Rhea County, the Lions now face nine consecutive weeks of football.
I asked Gatewood how he plans to keep his team physically and mentally prepared for that grind.
“It’s an unusual time to draw an open date, but it is what it is. I like it because it’s 9 weeks of focus.”
From there, I shifted the conversation toward Tyner and how the Lions are preparing for Friday night’s matchup.
“We know our kids will play hard, we know their kids will play hard, most of the kids grew up together playing little league ball so there is a lot of familiarity.”
That familiarity adds another layer to a matchup already filled with history.
Gatewood is excited about what the rivalry represents.
“It’s awesome. It’s like a neighborhood rivalry that has great tradition in Hamilton Co. in the state of Tennessee.”
Friday night will also give some of Chattanooga’s top players an opportunity to make their presence felt on a big stage.
“It’s an opportunity for both teams to showcase on a Friday night playing a quality opponent.”
Gatewood and the Lions aren’t running from the challenge, either.
“You get better playing good people, we want to play as many people that are quality playoff caliber programs, and this will be that type of football game Friday night.”
Tyner: The Ram Train Is Rolling
After watching a hot practice on the grass at Red Bank, I traveled across town to Tyner.
The Rams had just finished practicing, and when I arrived, the players were in the locker room listening to music. I couldn’t make out who the artist was, but one thing was clear, the locker room was lit.
As most of the Rams finished dressing and headed home for the day, I caught up with Tyner head coach Christian Mainor. Coach Mainor and I headed out to the field to talk about his team’s preparation for Friday night.
I started by asking how practice had been going early in the week.
“We are doing something that we haven’t done before, due to the heatwave in the area we will practice at 6:30am and feed the kids after.”
With last year’s matchup decided by a single point and another battle potentially awaiting Friday night, I asked Mainor about preparing his players physically and mentally for games like this.
“It’s built through the summer in the weight room.”
Mainor is no stranger to big games. In fact, he embraces them.
“It’s cool to be in those moments in big games regardless of the outcome, to quote Kohl Ward (Tyner WR) pressure is for tires.”
That’s the mentality surrounding a Tyner team that has opened the season 2-0.
But Mainor isn’t focused solely on wins, losses or what eventually appears on the scoreboard. He told SOTG what he wants to see from the Ram Train Friday night.
“I’m worried about the effort, attitude, and physicality we play with. If we do those things the scoreboard will reflect.”
And when it comes to what he’s expecting when Red Bank arrives at Tyner?
“It will be the battle of the Titans, two big teams in the city that will play hard in a great atmosphere.”
National Attention Comes to Tyner
The Rams are also coming off a visit from national media, as college football recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network recently stopped by Tyner.
I asked Mainor what that type of exposure means for the school and his football program.
“It is big. It proves you can go anywhere if you build your own brand.”
Mainor also believes where a player attends high school doesn’t have to determine whether he gets discovered.
“At the end of the day college coaches will find you if you do the little things right and have the tape to prove it.”
Of course, having the measurables doesn’t hurt.
“Our guys have the measurables with Deion and Karontae’. We also have Carmello Peoples that often get overlooked he is a 6’6 315 lbs. Western Kentucky commit.”
Friday Night Is Bigger Than One Team
To close our conversation, I asked Mainor what having a matchup like Red Bank-Tyner early in the season means for Chattanooga football.
“For the city I think it’s great to matchup high caliber players, I’m a big fan of coach Gatewood and his Program I look forward to the matchup it will be a great environment.”
And that’s exactly what Friday night has the potential to be.
Red Bank comes out of its open week with nine straight games ahead. Tyner enters undefeated and playing some of the hottest football in the area. Both rosters feature play-makers. The coaches respect one another. Many of these players have known each other since their Little League days.
And one year ago, one point separated them.
Red Bank. Tyner. Friday night. 7:30 p.m.
The SOTG Game of the Week.
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