The Dunlap Eagles football team’s season came to an end this past Saturday in their first playoff game against Rock Island. The guys had a great season, one that not many people thought would actually happen. It was a bittersweet moment for the seniors as they part from playing together since they were in Junior Football League. The Eagles wished for a better outcome but gave it all they got and that’s all they could do.
The Eagles truly did have an amazing game. I think it was one of the best games I’ve seen them play all season. They threw in some new plays and it seemed to work very well for them. Although they pushed and pushed, the Eagles were defeated 28-18.
Recap of the Game:
Dunlap came firing out the gate with an interception within the first couple of minutes of the game. This is when I knew it was about to get interesting. Neither of the teams scored in the first quarter but with Dunlap’s throwing game, they got pretty close. Near the end of the second quarter, Rock Island got in the end zone making the score 7-0. They also scored in the beginning of the third but Dunlap came together to finally put some points on the board. The score now 6 - 13. At the end of the third, Dunlap got a 5 yard quarterback touchdown making the score 12 - 13. Another interception was caught by Dunlap at the beginning of the fourth. Rock Island responded with a touchdown furthering their lead 20 - 12. Later on, both teams scored touchdowns ending the game with a win for Rock Island.
Highlights:
1) The Eagles begin on the 44 yard line and start a run play. The quarterback looks for his options and finds one of the wide receivers on the 56 yard line. The player catches the ball and runs as hard as possible and makes the play a 30 yard pass.
2) Three of Dunlap’s wide receivers line up on the right side cutting in all different directions. The quarterback gives an easy pass to the wide receiver in the middle and he runs the ball straight into a pile of guys but pushes through. The player runs all the way to the 3 yard line and gets pulled down.
3) The quarterback of Dunlap steps back to set up a pass play but gets rushed. He runs to the right side and finds a slot. As he runs down the field, he sees one of the Rock Island players coming for him and steps hard toward the left and get’s a 22 yard run for a first down.
Players of the Game:
Casey Erickson (Sr.)
Casey has been an outstanding player to watch this whole season and especially this game. He caught 8 out of the 10 passes thrown to him and totaled 209 yards. He also was an amazing defensive player getting an interception and 3 tackles.
Ethan Barlow (Sr.)
Being a defensive threat all year, Ethan played the game of his life on Saturday. He got 6 tackles and a total of 20 yards. In those yards, he scored his first touchdown of the season.
Dunlap has now won two of the last three mid-illini conference titles and this year they share it with Pekin. Although they were known as being undersized in nearly every game, their undeniable teamwork earned them a mid-illini championship. Head coach, Brett Cazalet, talks about the team in a recent interview:
“This group has had to earn everything they get. We haven’t won because we’re a lot more talented, we have just found ways to win.”
The Eagles retire many seniors this year. Key players this season won’t be returning, which will make it very difficult for Dunlap to keep a good looking record. Although players might be lost, I’m sure the program will find ways to continue the success they have had over the past couple of years.
Being part of the football team it is sad that the season has come to an end and most of our senior class will never play again. High School football is different because you play with the guys you basically grew up around which builds a brotherhood like no other. The Rock Island game was a great game and I wish the result was different, but it all ends at some point. Our whole senior class will remember our days playing football with each other for a long time.