The Wildcats suffered an emotional loss to the Saxons in the sectional semifinal at Gary Scholz Stadium on Nov. 1.
Although the West Chicago boys’ soccer team fought hard until the end, it was not enough to keep them in the state tournament.
“Now, be patient. Be patient. Do not let them get in your heads. Do not let their fans get in your head,” Coach Jose Villa said. “Be calm. Be calm. Play your game. We’ve been in this situation. We’ve gotten out of it.”
Although Villa’s words were encouraging, the Saxons continued to challenge the Wildcats mentally. Every move they made, the Saxons matched. West Chicago had to stay focused on the field – not distracted by the noise on the sidelines.
“This is 40 minutes right now. This is all – 40 minutes or we go home. We don’t want to go home,” assistant coach Dorian Carrasco said. “We don’t want to end it here again. We have the tools, we have the personnel. We have the ability to get forward.”
Each half of a soccer game is 40 minutes long, with the clock stopping only for injuries or time-outs. For fans, those minutes may crawl—but for players in motion, they fly. Every second counts, especially for the seniors.
“Play with pride,” Carrasco said.
Pride is what the Wildcats held onto. “Vamos [Let’s go] WEGO” is a cheer that fans use—a symbol of the unity and spirit that define West Chicago.
“Things did not go our way today. That does not take away from the unbelievable season that you boys have had this year,” Villa said. “As a coaching staff, we’re all super, terribly proud of you.”
The last 40 minutes came to an end as the Wildcats left everything on the field – defending relentlessly and pushing for every chance on goal.
“There’s something that I can tell you is we have to be not only good winners, but we also have to learn how to lose,” Carrasco said.
Fans naturally cheer when their team is winning, but the energy brought by WEGO families never wavered, motivating the Wildcats to keep pushing.
“You got to be patient, and you got to keep working for you guys. Seniors, stay hungry, stay disciplined,” Carrasco said. “Best of luck in the future, and we can’t wait to go see what you’re doing next.”
These seniors set a new standard for WEGO soccer, bringing home Conference and Regional championship titles to cap off their final year as Wildcats.
Revision
Nov. 2, 2025
This story has been updated to clarify the emotional context of the Wildcats’ postseason loss and to improve narrative flow. Minor edits were made to enhance readability and accuracy. Photo placement has also been adjusted to avoid redundancy and better reflect the team’s full experience.
