Clinton football quarterback Mason Eckerson sat bewildered next to his teammates in Karns' visitor locker room.
The Dragons opened the game on Sept. 10 with a swift first drive, ending in an Eckerson rushing touchdown. Thirty minutes later, Clinton faced a 3rd-and-48 right before halftime as Karns held the lead.
Clinton, led by Eckerson, had no choice but to dig deep once again.
"I think it just speaks to our culture," Clinton football coach Jake Dawson told Knox News following the Dragons' 21-14 win.
"It speaks to the kids in the building. It speaks to the culture of Clinton High School. Clinton is a city of fighters. Clinton is a city of resilient people, and you see that every week."
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Eckerson personified Clinton's resiliency. He completed 16-of-22 passes for 188 yards, ran for all three touchdowns for the Dragons (2-2, 2-0 Region 2-5A) and converted a two-point attempt that tied the game in the fourth quarter.
He also sealed the game with a five-yard scramble on third down, one of 14 rushes that often landed him flat on the turf.
"I try to do anything I can for this team and put my body on the line," Eckerson said. "We've got a saying, 'Bust that door.' If I don't bust that door for them, they're going to do the same for me. I've got their back and they've got mine."
After their first quarter touchdown, Clinton wouldn't find the endzone again until the final frame. Karns (1-3, 1-1) ran out the clock, reminiscent of former star player and Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop, who watched from the sidelines.
Dawson made some schematic changes, but he continued to place trust in his senior quarterback to diagnose their mistakes.
"That kid's dynamic," Dawson said. "He's still getting a better football IQ. ... He's developing every day and getting better. The great thing about him, he knows where his flaws are. He knows them, so you don't every really see them."
Clinton faces one of its toughest challenges of the season against Central (3-0) on Sept. 18.
"I think our student section, our city, everyone was behind our back," Eckerson said. "That gave us some momentum, and we just came in to finish it. That momentum gets our team going. We thrive off that. I think this Thursday night rivalry game will give us more momentum going into next week."
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Clinton football QB Mason Eckerson embodied 'city of fighters' mentality
