"It was back-to-back weeks with this stuff," said Knight. "What I'm most proud of [Dunker] for is he just continues to fight and doesn't change his process in any way. He just keeps trusting the process, so I really like that from him. He's resilient."

While consecutive losses in that manner can sour a team's focus and energy, Dracut's remained level with Dunker at forefront.

Friday's 34-33 win over Boston Latin, the first of Knight's career, provided a spark which Knight believes could ignite some flames down the line. Dunker completed touchdown passes of 6, 17, 18, and 23 yards in the nonleague affair.

"I'm proud of my other coaches -- I'd be screwed without them," said Knight. "My athletic director, Tom DiGeronimo, gave me the game ball which got me emotional. And the kids went crazy. A lot of these kids who've played Dracut football the last few years, there hasn't been many wins. This was special."

With 28 seconds on the clock down 33-27, Dunker fired a scoring toss to sophomore standout Evan Berrios (2 TDs) and kicked the game-winning extra point.

The Middies did not let giving up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter faze them, and Dunker overcame what could have been a second straight week of failing to convert the final drive.