WASHINGTON — Darrell Crouch embraced his family, friends, coaching staff and players with hugs.

The Washington football coach was filled with emotions as this was the final time he walked the sidelines at Babcook Field, a career that ended Saturday afternoon following a 34-18 loss to defending champion East St. Louis in the Class 6A state semifinals.

In 19 seasons, Crouch accumulated 156 total victories and led the Panthers to 16 consecutive postseason appearances. Washington graduates 27 seniors, but the underclassmen know the task at hand coming into next season. Longtime assistant coach Todd Stevens will step in as head coach as Crouch retires from his role.

“We never stopped playing, and we never made excuses. We stepped into that ring and put the gloves on,” Crouch said to his team in the postgame huddle. “You kept fighting whistle-to-whistle. I’m super proud of you guys. I love you guys.”

Washington fans filled the stadium in support for not only their hometown team, but to show their support for Crouch in his final game with the team. The Panthers were presented with a semifinal plaque following the loss and over the PA system Crouch was recognized for his career accomplishments.

Crouch leaves behind a rich tradition that will be remembered for years to come in the community.

“19 years of blood, sweat and tears,” Crouch said. “My wife took great care of our kids during that time, so I could do this. Those things made it really tough as I walked away today for the final time.”

Rapid recap: Washington rally falls short vs. East St. Louis

As Crouch has preached each season to never give up and keep fighting, the Panthers showed just that after trailing 26-3 in the fourth quarter. Washington senior running back Kainon McQueary had two late touchdowns as the deficit was cut to 26-18 on No. 1 state-ranked and nationally-ranked East St. Louis. But a 50-yard touchdown run from Fylers quarterback Robert “Pops” Battle set the final score in the final minutes.

“Our whole town turned out for us, and we had a great atmosphere. We were right there,” said Crouch. “We had two guys step in in the lineup instead of making excuses when we lost a couple guys (with injuries). Our kids responded like they have all year and kept battling back into the game.”

Kathleen Crouch was overcome with emotions as she hugged her husband on the Babcook Field surface. She stood close by their daughter, McKenna, and son, Will, and shared how much the memories of Darrell’s coaching career has meant to her and her family.

“This has always been our family thing, and this is what we do together as a family,” Kathleen said. “This is wrapping up a lot of what we have always known. My kids were 3 and 5 years old when he took the job here.”

“We are really proud of him and proud of what he did,” Kathleen added. “It is always sad to have it come to an end. But we are bursting with pride as we watched him do a lot of good for a lot of young men.

"There are wins and losses, but he did things behind the scenes that really matter.”

'Never give up': How a backup QB almost rallied Washington to the state championship game

Darrell Crouch has touched the lives of many of his former and current players, and that certainly holds true for the senior linebacking core of Eli Baer, Eli Papis and Jase Harlan. All three shared heartfelt tributes for their coach following the loss.

“We came up short and that really sucks, because we wanted to get him to the finals,” Baer said. “That is what we really wanted to do for him. I have never had so much fun playing this game, these guys are like my brothers.”

Said Harlan: “I love every single person on this team, and I will remember these guys for the rest of my life. It has meant so much to put everything out there and play our hearts out.”

Said Papis: “This season meant so much because it was coach Crouch’s final year. We wanted to get him back to Illinois State (for the state title), which is where he played in college. It was a really big deal for us, we ended up short, but it was a hell of a run.”

John Komosa can be reached at jkomsports@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Washington football coach Darrell Crouch retiring after 19 seasons