WEST PORTSMOUTH — A furious second-half rally lifted the South Webster Jeeps to a 3-1 win over Ironton St. Joseph in the Division III boys soccer Southeast District semifinals at Portsmouth West High School on Wednesday night.

Third-seeded South Webster (14-3-2) scored three goals within four-and-a-half minutes in the second half, and came back from a 1-0 first-half deficit to take the win.

“I know we have a deep bench and I thought we could outlast them,” South Webster coach Corey Claxon said. “It turns out, we were the ones cramping up at the end. But we had a deep bench that came through tonight. We fought through it, and we turned it up in the second half.”

South Webster got on the board with 16:24 to go in the second half, when Hunter Barnard won a battle at the goal — and booted the ball through.

At the 13:46 mark, Brycin McClintic headed the ball in for a score — from an assist by Tyler Sommer.

The Flyers were rattled, and South Webster took advantage when Dylan Shupert was in the right place at the right time — and knocked the ball in off a rebound off the goalpost with 12:17 to go for the Jeeps.

“Coming in I was going back post,” Shupert said. “I was looking to rebound the ball. I had the perfect opportunity and I just put it in. The timing was perfect, and I was right there.”

The junior midfielder chested the ball and it fell to his feet, and he kicked it through for the goal.

“What a great heads-up play,” Claxon said. “We took advantage of the momentum shift.”

Sixth-seeded St. Joe’s only score came with 3:35 to go in the first half, when Chase Davis booted the ball from 30 yards out — and clipped the top of the goal and rebounded into the net, and then came out onto the field.

“That was just the way the first half went,” Claxon added. “Just kind of unlucky. I’ve seen that happen and we’ll just chalk it up as unlucky.”

The Flyers trailed 3-1 and had a penalty kick with 6:42 to go, but missed the kick high and it sailed over the goal.

“Most the time you have to react,” South Webster keeper Aiden McGraw said. “We were up 3-1, and I figured I wouldn’t let him get it. It went over — I intimidated him. That’s what happened.”

The Jeeps outshot St. Joseph 19-8, including a 9-4 advantage on goal.

South Webster will play for the Division III Southeast District championship on Saturday —at 1 p.m. at Jackson’s Alumni Stadium against second-seeded Northwest.

The Mohawks, now 14-4-1, handled Lynchburg-Clay 4-0 on Wednesday in another district semifinal match at Zane Trace.

Both the Mohawks and Jeeps are members of the Southern Ohio Conference Division II, as South Webster swept the regular-season series —winning 3-2 in dramatic come-from-behind fashion at South Webster, before winning 2-1 at Roy Rogers Field in the return tilt.

The South Webster-Northwest winner will assure Scioto County and the SOC II a Southeast District champion — and a regional semifinalist on Wednesday.

* * *

Ironton St. Joe 1 0 —1

South Webster 0 3 —3

ISJ — Chase Davis (unassisted) 3:35, 1st (1-0 ISJ)

SW — Hunter Barnard (unassisted) 16:24, 2nd (1-1 tie)

SW — Brycin McClintic (Tyler Sommer assist) 13:46, 2nd (2-1 SW)

SW — Dylan Shupert (unassisted rebound) 12:17, 2nd (3-1 SW)

SHOTS — Ironton St. Joe 8, South Webster 19

SHOTS ON GOAL — Ironton St. Joe 4, South Webster 9

SAVES — Ironton St. Joe 7 (Aidan Gray) South Webster 4 (Aiden McGraw)

CORNER KICKS — Ironton St. Joe 1, South Webster 3

FOULS — Ironton St. Joe 3, South Webster 6

* * *

Sports Editor Paul Boggs contributed to this report