Coach Dylan Kleparek Field saw a record crowd last Sunday afternoon as the DeKalb County High School Tigers soccer team hosted their first ever Sub-State game. The team claimed its first ever Region Tournament Championship last week after defeating their old nemesis Cumberland County before advancing to sub-state play.

On May 16, the Tigers traveled to Clinton High School, near Knoxville, to compete in the Regional Semifinal. There, DeKalb dominated in a 10-4 blowout.

Cameron Miller got the Tigers on the board first with an assist by Miguel Mata at the 34:59 mark. Then, Yair Mata would get a goal at 27:59 with an assist by Axel Aranda.

Miguel would find the net at 23:08, then it would be Yair’s turn again at 20:01 with an assist by Cooper Brown. Yair would add yet another goal for the Tigers at 11:01 in the first half, with an assist by Jonathon Zavala.

In the second half, the Tigers continued where they had left off. Zavala found the net with a penalty kick at the 29:45 mark, then scored a goal with an assist by Miller with 24:25 on the clock.

Conner Vance put a point on the board at 23:18 with a penalty kick, then Miguel found the net with an assist by Miller with 15:36 on the clock. Yair would cap off the Tigers’ score with a goal with 10:09 left to play.

The Tigers would claim the 10-4 victory, with goalie Conner Vance having several saves in the match. The win would set DeKalb up against Cumberland County in Crossville for the Regional Championship on May 18. There, the team would finally overcome a big hurdle.

The Tigers had faced the Cumberland Jets three times this season, with each match ending in narrow defeat, 3-1 and two games at 1-0. It was do or die for DeKalb, and this game would be another low-scoring battle.

The game would be hard-fought and would end up being decided in the first half. Miguel Mata put the Tigers on the board early. With an assist by Brandon Silva, DeKalb was up 1-0 at the 31:27 mark. Miguel would strike again with 19:26 left in the first half, this time with an assist by Yair Mata.

DeKalb would go on through the second half, holding off the powerful offense of the Jets. Goalie Conner Vance would have eight saves in the game, with the Tigers holding on to claim their first ever championship, 2-0.

With the victory, the Tigers were set to host their first ever Sub-State game, against the East Hamilton Hurricanes, eventually being scheduled for Sunday, May 21, at Dylan Kleparek Coach K Soccer Field in Smithville. This match would be another battle, and would be a goalie’s game through much of the action. It was a win or go home game with a state tournament appearance hanging in the balance.

The first half was fought to a stalemate, with each team taking shots at the goal. The Hurricanes were big and powerful, while the Tigers seemed to be nimble on the field.

It would be in the second half where East Hamilton appeared to wear down the Tigers. The Hurricanes would get on the board first with a penalty kick, which seemed to rattle the Tigers. Just a few minutes later, East Hamilton added yet another goal to the board, taking a 2-0 lead.

Miguel Mata put the Tigers on the board with 31 minutes left in the game, but it would be the only points DeKalb would see. The Hurricanes would go on to add one more goal and take the 3-1 win. East Hamilton will now advance to the state tournament in Murfreesboro this week.

The Tigers ended their great season at 11-7-1 overall, but can hold their heads up high with the Regional Championship. “This is the first time we have ever won the Region Championship,” said head Coach Dylan Kleparek. “It is a special thing. I am proud of the guys because they came out and worked hard.”