After an hour and a half rain and lightning delay, what was left of the home crowd cheered as the Mariner Tritons finally took the Tony McKenna Field for Friday’s preseason game with the Cypress Lake Panthers.

It was the Panthers who came out ready to play jumping ahead early and holding off the Tritons 14-7 in one half of football. The jamboree also marked the debut of new Mariner coach Chris Siner, who was hired 11 days earlier.

“It was awesome to be back at Mariner,” said Siner, a Tritons graduate. “There is no place I would rather be, but I’m disappointed that we lost. Winning has to come first.”

Mariner’s defense looked most affected by the rain delay. On the third play of the game Cypress Lake sophomore quarterback Jayron Kearse took the snap and faked a handoff, then ran through a Tritons’ arm tackle and beat the pursuing defenders 66 yards to the end zone.

After the Tritons faltered at midfield on their first offensive series, Kearse wasted little time guiding the Panthers back to the end zone, capping a six-play drive with some nifty moves, dodging a defender and extending his arms across the goal line for his second touchdown.

After Logan Franklin’s point-after try, the Tritons trailed 14-0.

What happened next impressed Siner about his new team.

“We got down early, but we did not quit,” he said. “The offense started moving the ball and the defense did not give up much.”

The offense started at its own 10 after a muffed kickoff return, but a duo of returning starters helped ignite the offense. After two runs by junior fullback Donovan Mcamis, junior quarterback J.T. Etnoyer connected with receiver Andrew Torres for 19 yards. After another tough McAmis run, and a facemask penalty, the Tritons were in Panther territory for the first time.

A loss of four yards, an incompletion and a sack by De’Vondre Campbell ended the drive and the first quarter.

On the first play of the second quarter the Tritons defense awoke after senior defensive end Justin Emmons slammed into Kearse, knocking the ball loose and into the hands of defensive back Tyler Pigott, who sprinted 33 yards down the home sideline for the touchdown.

“I didn’t expect to see the ball there,” said Pigott, “but when I saw it I just thought scoop and score.”

After forcing the Panthers into a three-and-out, the Tritons got the punt on the Panthers’ side of midfield and grinded their way inside the 20-yard line. There the Panther defense held strong, forcing a field goal that curved wide right.

A long run by Devon Calhoun set up Cypress to score again, but the Tritons’ defense forced another fumble to earn one last shot to tie the game with less than four minutes left.

After fumbling twice, a third fumble by Mariner ended their hopes.

The Tritons open the regular season Friday night at city arch-rival Cape Coral.

Cypress Lake 14 0 – 14

Mariner 0 7 – 7

First Quarter

CL – Jayron Kearse 66 run (Logan Franklin kick)

CL – Kearse 8 run (Franklin kick)

Second Quarter

M – Tyler Pigott 33 fumble recovery (John Teeter kick)