Jotham Miller's first goal of the season was the last thing Dobyns-Bennett wanted to see Wednesday and it proved the Indians' undoing.
Miller kicked home the go-ahead goal in the 63rd minuted of play and the South defenders did the rest, holding on for a 2-1 victory in the District I-AAA semifinals.
The loss ended the season for regular-season champion Dobyns-Bennett, which finished 15-2-3, and put South not only into next week's Region I-AAA tournament but gave the Rebels their first victory over D-B in a post-season game since 1997. The Rebels had last advanced to the Region I tournament in 2006.
South will meet Science Hill, a 2-1 winner over feisty Sullivan Central in the other semifinal game. The Hilltoppers (12-7-1) went up 2-0 in the first half, but survived a comeback bid that saw Central get a goal by Kenneth Long off an assist from Brent Baker in the 74th minute of play. Bennett Becker then had a chance to tie the gaem in the final two minutes, but his free kick sailed just over the net.
"He makes that kick nine times out of ten,'' said Central coach Eric Freeman. "But he just happened to miss is tonight.''
Miller's goal didn't miss and Miller knew it when he hit it.
"I knew it was coming to me,'' said Miller. "I knew I had a shot, so I just went ahead and took it. I'm a senior and I didn't want my season to end in this game. It's definitely the biggest goal of my career and my only goal this year. I'm just happy it went in.''
"He's one of our seniors and he's solid,'' said South coach Malora Quisenberry. "But he's been out of the spotlight. He's been content to lay the ball off, usually.''
Added Quisenberry, whose team is now 12-6-2: "I knew we had the potential. We worked hard. This is always a big rivalry and the adrenaline had something to do with it. After they made their kick, we didn't get back on our heels. We kept attacking and that's what we needed to do.''
"South has a wonderful team,'' said D-B coach Shane Calvert. "They played a great game. I hate it was against us, but they deserved it.
"They have a good coach and they have talent up and down their roster. They are a very good team that has been playing its best soccer at the end of the season and that's what you have to do.''
D-B ended its season with its only two losses after a 15-0-3 start that had the Indians up to No. 5 in the state. In their final regular-season game, they went to Knoxville and lost to Bearden, 7-1.
There may have been some confidende erosion after that loss, but Calvert said his team was ready for this game; it just didn't put things together.
"We didn't play with any consistency and we were never able to get anything going,'' said Calvert, whose only goal came during a scrum when senior Mitch Gardner first fell down, then pulled himself back up and booted the ball into the goal in the midst of a group of South players.
That tied the game at 1-1 in the 17th minute of play in the first half. South had earlier scored when Adam Griffith was awarded a penalty kick inside the box in the seventh minute of play.
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