Anderson County QB Stanton Martin played quarterfinal game with torn ACL

On the second play of Friday's quarterfinal, Stanton Martin felt something pop in his knee. The Anderson County quarterback got checked out by the trainer and went back into the game only to feel it again.

The Mavericks' trainer checked him out again and brought Greeneville's team doctor over to check it out also. The doctor told Martin, a 4A Mr. Football finalist, it was a probably his ACL. Martin's grandfather is a doctor and came down out of the stands to check out his knee.

The ACL was torn, Martin's grandfather told him, but the damage was done. It probably wasn't going to get much worse.

Anderson County's Stanton Martin looks for an open receiver during the game at Greeneville on Friday, November 17, 2017.

Davey Gillum put the decision on Martin and his family. The coach wasn't going to tell an injured player to get back in the game.

Martin, however, didn't see much to consider. He wanted to play. So Martin played the rest of the game on a torn ACL.

He still threw 368 yards and four touchdowns on 21-of-38 passing. It was an impressive showing for any quarterback, never mind one used to playing a mobile game and forced by an injury to stay relatively stationary.

He did throw four interceptions, almost half of what he threw in the whole regular season, but not all of them can be blamed on the injury.

Martin went for an MRI on Monday, and was already on crutches, wearing a big brace.

Anderson County's Stanton Martin (9) looks for a pass during a game between Anderson County and Heritage at Anderson County High School in Clinton, Tennessee on Friday, September 22, 2017.

Gillum couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Martin had been healthy in the game. Anderson County had a 21-0 lead in the first half but eventually lost 35-31.

This is the third time in three years Martin's season has ended with an injury. They've all been different body parts: he broke his jaw and tore a labrum.

He, and the Mavericks, just hope for a healthy season next year. Gillum expects them to be right back where they were this year, in the quarterfinals against Greeneville, but they want to be the ones to keep playing.