Dunlap bounces back to hand Washington first loss, gains Mid-Illini upper hand: ‘It’s undescribable’
- Jonathan Michel
- Oct 1
- 5 min read
DUNLAP — A familiar feeling was in the air on the soccer field at Dunlap Valley Middle School on Tuesday.
The last time the Eagles faced their rival Washington Panthers on that field, it resulted in a heartbreaking loss in penalty kicks in a 2024 Class 2A sectional semifinal.
This time, the inside track to the Mid-Illini title was at stake and the task wouldn’t be easy for the Eagles. They were coming off of their first two losses of the season and facing an undefeated Panthers squad that brought in lots of momentum.
But in a battle where scoring chances were aplenty, Dunlap broke through with goals from Raphael Nascimento and Jackson Orris in the final 13 minutes to earn a 2-0 win - their biggest victory of the season so far in front of a noisy home crowd.
“It’s undescribable,” Nascimento said. “It's something that we're going to carry into whatever happens next.”
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