WASHINGTON, Ill. – On November 16th, 2013, the Washington High School football team defeated Normal U-High in the IHSA Class 5A playoffs.
The next day, the lives of some members of the team and many in Washington would be changed, as an EF-4 tornado ripped through the town.
Head coach Darrell Crouch, who is retiring after 19 years leading the Panthers football team, says around eight to ten members of the team and coaches were affected, with some losing everything in the twister.
He says while no one was hurt, it was still difficult to see.
“It was really hard just coming back to see those guys in those situations, and what they were going through and their families going through as well,” Crouch said.
Crouch says within 24 hours, the team and town went from the highest of highest with the state semifinal appearance, which was also his first as a coach, to the lowest of lowest with the tornado and dealing with the aftermath.
During that time, the team still had to prepare for that semifinal game against perennial power Springfield Sacred-Heart Griffin. Crouch says game planning and getting through that week was tough, but they received a lot of support from not just fellow Mid-Illini Conference rivals, but throughout the state.
“Joliet Catholic, they came in and did our team dinner for us on the Thursday night before,” Crouch said. “So they came down, brought the food, served us. I thought that was an unbelievable reaching out on their part.”
Crouch says even the opponent whose season they just ended, U-High, provided support by giving the team a chance to escape the media lights, lunches, and a place to practice.
The semifinal game even featured a telephone number people could call in and contribute to the relief efforts in Washington.
The game didn’t end well for the Panthers, falling 44-14 to Sacred-Heart Griffin. But what Crouch remembers is how resilient the leaders on the team were after a week of dealing with the tornado’s aftermath and being put in a media spotlight because of it.
“Thought our kids did a great job of highlighting Washington and what the community did. Every time they were in front of the TV, or in front of national news, or radio, whatever it might be, they did a really great job of that,” Crouch said.
The 2013 Panther football team is now immortalized, after being inducted into the Washington Community High School Hall of Fame earlier this year.
The Panthers are in a similar situation this year. The day after the 10th anniversary of the tornado, they will host East St. Louis in the IHSA Class 6A state semifinals on Saturday at 1:00 P.M. at Babcock Field.
