OAKWOOD — It has become one of the best playoff rivalries in Georgia high school soccer.
When Johnson (15-4-1) and Starr's Mill (18-1-1) meet in the Class 5A playoffs, fans are guaranteed a heavy-weight fight.
And that's exactly what happened on Wednesday when the fourth-ranked Knights stunned the top-ranked Panthers, 2-1, in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A playoffs.
It's the second time in three seasons Johnson has knocked off Starr's Mill but what made it sweeter this time was avenging the 2019 semifinal 1-0 loss to the Panthers in 2019.
Johnson was ranked No. 1 in the state and favored to win the match but Starr's Mill had other plans.
This time, however, the Knights were on a mission.
"Our boys remembered losing to them 1-0 at Starr’s Mill in 2019," Head Coach Frank Zamora said. " We talked about what it would mean for them, our seniors from last year, and this community overall to be able to beat them here at home. We had our opportunity and the boys went out there and battled it out in a very close match."
Indeed they did.
The two foes battle each other to a first-half draw, 0-0.
But whatever Zamora told his team at halftime, resonated and was put into action in the second half.
"If we can have a solid first half, we know we can come out with a lot more energy in the second half," Zamora said. "We talked to the players exactly what we had to do, especially against such a strong opponent. So, it was just reminding them of the straight there and assuring them that we've got this.."
Christian Robles went to work quickly in the first two minutes of the second half, scoring to break the goose egg on the board.
Robles said, after the game, the feeling he had after giving his team the early second-half lead was inexplainable.
"The adrenaline and everything going through my mind," Robles said. "You never know if you're going to score or not. It was amazing."
Starr's Mill tied it up with 14 minutes to go, but as Jorge Sandoval said, the Knights continued to break down the Panthers. So much so, Sandoval, after missing earlier, found an opening and poked the ball through for the go-ahead score with five minutes to go in the match.
"When I missed the shot earlier, it really got to me," Sandoval said. "I came off to the bench, and I was just praying on the sideline. When I came in, I got the ball in the corner, was able to take on the defense and found the little gap. That feeling was amazing."
The Knights will play host to Woodward Academy next week for a trip to the Class 5A title game. Woodward knocked off Cartersville, 6-1. t
"This is very special for the kids," Zamora said. "We've been working hard since the summer. Our guys are hungry. We talked about, at the beginning of the season, what we wanted to accomplish and so far, we're able to follow through. There's still a lot of soccer left to play. But, at this point, we're very capable of making it all the way through."
AREA SOCCER SCOREBOARD, Wednesday, May 5
CLASS 6A
Buford girls 2, Glynn Academy 1
CLASS 5A
Johnson boys 2, Starr's Mill 1
CLASS 4A
Islands boys 2, Flowery Branch 1
Jefferson boys 2, Columbus 0
East Hall boys 3, LaGrange 1
CLASS A PUBLIC
Towns County boys 3, Atkinson County 0
