It was particularly significant that Charlie Gauthier last week scored the first touchdown of the football season for Signal Mountain.
The senior is a battler and a survivor and personifies the current state of Eagles football. He's 5-foot-7 and on a good day 170 pounds, but he plays all out from opening whistle to final gun for a team that's undermanned but rarely outplayed.
It's the kind of road meant for a young man who sees himself as a special ops officer in the years to come.
"He's tough as nails. He never has a day where he's not going as hard as he can go," Eagles coach Ty Wise said. "The first time I really noticed him was in the weight room. He was just working hard - businesslike - but working his butt off the whole time. Pound for pound he's probably the strongest guy on the team."
Wise said there were others who moved more weight but pointed out that Gauthier (pronounced Go-shay) was "probably 100 pounds lighter."
It's about effort, an effort that Wise says allows the diminutive running back and defensive back to play like a 6-foot, 200-pounder.
"He gets north and south in a hurry. He breaks tackles and he's getting YAC (yards after contact) because of that, his balance and his effort," the coach praised. "And on defense he has a knack of making the open-field tackles."
Signal Mountain won just one game last year and finished the season with less than two dozen players.
The 1-9 record was tough, especially for a guy like Gauthier who has seen every game the Eagles have played.
"It's a family thing. My oldest brother (B.J.) played on the first Signal Mountain team. My other brother (Thomas) also played, and then I got here, so I've been here for every game," he said.
The coaching transition after the 2014 season - from Bill Price to Wise - was a first for both Gauthier and Signal Mountain football, and the change was tougher on some than others.
"It wasn't extremely tough," said Gauthier, who had come to revel in Price's company. "There were a few changes in the way they run things, but both of them have the same attitude about team-building and winning, and they always expect the best."
Gauthier was unlike numerous Eagles who pulled the plug.
"It's not in him to quit," said his mom, Mandi.
"It definitely isn't a sport for everybody," Charlie said, avoiding the opportunity for a demeaning shot at former teammates. "But football is definitely something I look forward to every day. I wake up and point everything toward the team and to staying on track. Being a part of the team guides me toward doing the right thing and living the right kind of life."
Football and its discipline and rigorous physical demands are a way station for Gauthier, who has envisioned a career in the military for years.
"Football has the same kind of structure. I like pushing myself. I like the fact that both demand a lot of self-discipline," he said. "Football has taught me how to follow and how to lead. I have learned lessons I will need down the road."
He's had a bug-out bag - needed gear for a quick getaway - packed since he was in the fifth grade. He's had a life's plan, too, for the past seven or eight years. It entails The Citadel and eventually a spot in the U.S. Army, specifically special operations.
"He's had a plan for years," Mandi said. "It used to be a joke. He's a hunter and fisherman, for sure. He's also an eat-what-you-kill kind of guy. As he got older all he talked about was the military."
Gauthier's first college visit was to The Citadel, and Mandi said he fell in love with military school in South Carolina. It's a step closer to his future.
"The military? He sees it as his duty," she said.
"He fits that mold - for any branch of the military," Wise said. "The other night when he was running the ball he was running over kids - trucking them. His biggest attribute is the effort. He's not a big vocal leader, but from a team standpoint he's a guy everybody admires. He's a guy that has a big impact on other players from the way he carries himself and the way he practices."
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.