Offense, offense
Dragons, Mountaineers combine for 105 points in season opener
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Clinton quarterback Mason Eckerson hurdles a Heritage defender during Friday night’s season opener. Eckerson accounted for 408 yards of total offense and five touchdowns, rushing 17 times for 103 yards and three scores while completing 18 of 29 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns in the Dragons’ 63-42 loss to the Mountaineers. - Tony Cox
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Will Young hits the accelerator on the opening kickoff Friday night, racing 95 yards for a touchdown to give Clinton a lightning-quick start against Heritage. The Dragons receiver also hauled in 10 passes for 159 yards as Clinton fell to the Mountaineers 63-42. - Tony Cox
After a stellar first half on offense from quarterback Mason Eckerson, receiver/return man Will Young, and wideout Austyn Phillips, the Clinton Dragons could not sustain the momentum as they fell 63-42 to Heritage in the season opener for both teams Friday at Jack Renfro Stadium in Maryville.
The teams combined for more than 1,100 yards of offense and 400-plus return yards.
Eckerson finished with more than 400 yards of total offense as he completed 18 of 29 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.
He also rushed 17 times for 103 yards and three TDs.
Young returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
He and Phillips caught all of Eckerson’s passes: Young with 10 receptions for 159 yards and a score, and Phillips with eight for 146 yards and a TD. Phillips also recovered two fumbles.
Heritage quarterback Walker Wheeler went 13-for-15 passing for 276 yards and five TDs. and rushed 13 times for 121 yards.
Running back Bubba Patterson scored twice as he made four carries for 173 yards.
Young motored down the right sideline with the kickoff, and Manny Ortiz booted the first of four extra points to give Clinton a 7-0 lead only 20 seconds into the game.
The Mountaineers answered in two plays after Wheeler ran 30 yards on their first snap and Patterson scampered 44 yards for a TD.
Gavin Hyatt, who kicked nine extra points for the hosts, made it 7-7.
Clinton answered with a 59-yard TD pass from Eckerson to Phillips, who came open at the Heritage 33.
A two-point run failed, and the Dragons were up 13-7.
Phillips recovered a fumble that led to a missed field goal.
Heritage answered with a 13-yard TD run by Kayden Filipo to take a 14-13 edge.
Clinton lost a fumble, and the Mountaineers scored on a 70-yard pass from Wheeler to Troy Ervin on the next play to stretch their advantage to 21-13 near the end of the first quarter.
The Dragons then moved 80 yards in nine plays, capped by a 10-yard Eckerson TD run, to pull within one, at 21-20.
Ayden Faubion recovered a Heritage fumble on the kickoff at the Mountaineer 17, and Clinton scored two plays later on an 8-yard run by Eckerson for a 27-21 lead.
Heritage found the end zone again on a 62-yard run by Patterson with 7:46 left in the half and went up 28-27.
The Dragons then made the game’s only punt, but forced a Mountaineer turnover on downs at the Dragon 35.
Eckerson moved the offense 65 yards in four plays, finding Young on a 28-yard TD pass with 10.3 seconds remaining.
Clinton lost Ortiz to an injury on the ensuing kickoff as he made a touchdown-saving tackle on a 63-yard return by Filipo as time expired with the Dragons ahead 34-28.
Filipo repeated Young’s game-opening score by returning the second-half kickoff 85 yards for a TD and a 35-34 lead.
The Dragons scored in only two plays, with Eckerson finding the end zone on a 43-yard run.
The Clinton quarterback hit Noah Gaylor for a two-point pass to put the visitors up 42-35 only 43 seconds into the third quarter.
But that was the last Dragon score as Heritage tacked on three more TDs in the third period on a 14-yard pass to Rhett Hall, a 32-yard toss to Ervin, and a 23-yard TD throw to Sam McInnis.
A 44-yard scoring pass to Ervin with 11:30 remaining in the game produced the final margin.
The Dragons visit rival Oak Ridge this Friday.