Tenaha playoff ousted by Lovelady, Ward moving to ISD administration

The Tenaha Tigers’ season ended Friday with a 50-14 defeat at the hands of the Lovelady Lions. Tenaha’s season ends with a 10-3 overall record. Their advancement to the regional round placed them among the top 16 2A Division II teams in the state.

Senior Ja’Tyrian Moore led the Tigers with five completions for 45 yards passing and 16 carries for 90 yards on the ground. Moore was also able to return a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Fellow senior Jordan Reese had 12 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. Kamarion Ross had five carries for 48 yards. He also scored on a twopoint conversion. Ja’Torion Moore reeled in three passes for 43 yards, and Avanta Fredieu also had three receptions for a 14-yard total.

On defense, Kamarion and Ferg Ross led the Tigers with nine tackles each. Brikelian Kenny tallied eight stops. Shaun Carson was next with six tackles.

Tenaha has consistently competed on a high-level this season. Last year the Tigers finished fourth place in their district only to be defeated in the first round by Deweyville. This year Tenaha took home the district championship over the Overton Mustangs. They defeated Hull-Daisetta 5212 in round one and Dawson 22-14 in round two.

Tenaha will have a number of talented starters graduating this year including Ja’Tyrian Moore, Kamarion Ros, Jordan Reese, DJ Cooks, Christian Rodriquez, Robert Williams, and Edrin Bluford. These young men have carried the torch for the Tigers and will now move on to the next phase of their lives.

Head coach Terry Ward is also moving on to the next phase of his career. Ward will be transitioning to an administrative position in the coming months.

“After 27 years of coaching and being on the sidelines, I have made the decision to move into a different direction both professionally and personally,” said Ward in a public announcement earlier this week. “I will always cherish my time coaching, the memories made with the athletes and their families who have entrusted me with the role of raising wonderful young men, along with sharing this responsibility with my amazing coaching staffs from all across the state and getting to know their families as well. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for trusting me.”

Marlon Byrdsong will be taking the helm of the Tenaha athletic program going forward.

“I have learned a lot from Coach Ward this past season. I look forward to continuing the Tiger Tradition that Coach Ward has done such an outstanding job of cultivating here in Tenaha over the years,” said Byrdsong. “I hope to continue to build on the foundation of a program that expects young men to demonstrate discipline, character and a program that the community can be proud of.”