By GALE CAVNESS
pressbox1.com

DYERSBURG - Boosters launched a volley of pyrotechnics into the sky over J.C. Sawyers Stadium Friday night as the 2008 Dyersburg Trojans took to the field for the season-opener against Memphis Frayser.

It didn't take long for the Trojans to begin a fireworks display of their own.

Assisted greatly by Frayser errors, Dyersburg scored early and often on the way to a 65-14 romp past the visiting Rams.

The Trojans scored 30 points in the first quarter, led 51-6 at intermission and rolled to an easy win. The blowout made for a happy homecoming for Dyersburg head coach James Counce, back at the Trojans helm after a one-year absence.

Despite the obvious lack of competition against Frayser (0-2), the veteran mentor was pleased to get a win and some experience for his squad before facing a huge Region 7-3A clash at rival Haywood County next week.

"Well, we got to play everybody," he said after the game. "We did what we needed to do. We took care of business."

Haywood County (1-1) opened the season in a Week 0 outing by taking a 17-14 victory at Jackson Central-Merry, but lost to visiting Memphis Kirby 30-21 Friday night.

The Trojans (1-0) took advantage of plenty of early Frayser miscues to build a quick advantage. Problems in the punting game - or the lack of actually punts - got the Rams in a jam in the opening period and kept Dyersburg in scoring position.

A snap that sailed over the Frayser punter's head set up Dyersburg first touchdown with a possession at the Rams 18-yard line.

Tyler Lyons put the host team on the scoreboard with a short rushing effort, Kyle Youmans booted the first of his nine conversion kicks in the game and DHS was on the way to a rout.

When the guests lost the ball on downs at their own 36 on their second offensive attempt, the Trojans started another quick scoring march. Xavier Taylor picked up the first of his four touchdowns in the game and Dyersburg doubled its lead. After failing to move the ball on a third possession, the Rams botched another punt attempt and gave Dyersburg control at the visitors' 8-yard line. Jason Click scored the first of his three six-pointers in the contest on first down and it was 21-0 with 3:50 still to play in the first quarter.

Frayser helped the DHS cause on its next possession, too. With Aire Cork, Lee Schultz and Zane Mathis leading the way, the Trojans' defensive unit pushed the Rams backwards. When the visitors were flagged for holding in their own end zone, a safety gave Dyersburg a 23-0 edge.

Click returned the ensuing Frayser kick to the Rams' 36 to put the Trojans in scoring position again, but an interception in the end zone kept Dyersburg from padding the lead - momentarily.

When Frayser was forced into another fourth-and-long situation on its next offensive effort, a bad snap on the punt attempt gave Dyersburg the ball at the Rams 10. Taylor found the end zone on first down, Youmans made the point-after and it was a 30-0 game in the final minute of first quarter.

The Rams finally got something positive going and scored when Tarvis Milam found an open receiver for a long pass play with 27 ticks remaining in a quarter that lasted almost an hour.

Taylor got his third TD score on an 18-yard jaunt three minutes into frame two and Mathis, son of Trojans baseball coach Tom Mathis, set up another touchdown with an interception and a 30-yard return to the Frayser five. Click scored from three yards out two plays later.

Mathis, a junior in the DHS secondary, snagged another errant Rams pass on Frayser's next possession to set up yet another scoring opportunity for the Trojans.

Taylor got the call again and tacked on more points with a 15-yard burst. Youman's kick made it 51-6 at the break.

Click scored from the three late in the third quarter and Travis O'Neal turned the third interception of the night for Dyersburg into another score early in the final stanza. Youman's ninth point-after made it 65-6.

Frayser closed out the scoring with 6:22 to play, getting another scoring pass from Milam. Thanks to the mercy rule that kept the game clock running after intermission, the second half lasted about 45 minutes.