By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Soccer always had come naturally to identical twins Brandon and Justin Dobbs, until the day Brandon made the University of Cincinnati's team and Justin did not.

With six Oak Hills varsity letters between them, the brothers headed to a two-hour tryout in March 2000. Thirty players competed for four walk-on openings, and by the end of the practice, Justin had a hunch he was not among the chosen.

"I just couldn't play a ball and do what I normally could do," Justin said. "I wasn't on that day, which is unlucky, because you only have two hours to prove yourself."

The nine matches Brandon played the next fall were among the most draining of his career.

"It was hard," said Brandon, the younger sibling by one minute. "It was difficult to look across the field and not see him there."

After the fall season ended, then-coach Jeff Cook challenged Justin to a winter training session of weight-lifting and running. By the spring, Justin had made the team.

Three years later, the Dobbs brothers helped form the backbone of a nationally ranked defense and one of the best Bearcats men's teams in school history.

Cincinnati earned a share of the Conference USA regular-season title for the first time in the program's 30 years and qualified for a second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Bearcats were recognized in national or regional polls every week, finishing the season ranked 23rd out of 225 teams for goals-against average (0.79).

Goalkeeper John Adams, midfielder Tim Brown, midfielder/defender Anders Cedergren, defender Tom Weable (Moeller High School) and the defenders Dobbs combined for one of the most potent defensive combinations in UC history, but the seniors' season ended Nov. 22 in a wrenching NCAA Tournament defeat.

After being tied in regulation, opponent Kentucky advanced to the second round on penalty kicks.

The scene was reminiscent of the Dobbs' senior Oak Hills season, which was cut short by Ross penalty kicks in the OHSAA Tournament.

"It was kind of like, 'Here we go again,' " Justin said. "That was always in the back of my mind."

Despite the defeat, the brothers agreed they'd come a long way since choosing UC - "for education first," Brandon said - and weathering the triumphs and frustrations of multiple soccer seasons. Learning skills and strategies of new positions was among the changes to which Brandon, a converted midfielder, and Justin, a former striker, adjusted.

Coach Hylton Dayes said the transitions were relatively seamless for the duo, which started together from 2001 onward.

The twins were already part of the program when Dayes was named coach two years ago, and it didn't take him long to discern a double defensive threat.

Stylistic and physical differences - Brandon kicks with his left foot, Justin is a righty - and a lifetime of playing soccer together translated into a complementary tandem for the Bearcats.

"They're both just tremendous competitors and hard workers," Hayes said. "Over the years, Brandon probably has gotten more accolades, but this year Justin really came into his own."

Maybe it's the soccer genes, passed down from their father, Robert, who played on UC's inaugural 1973 team. Either way, the twins don't plan on playing without each other after their December graduations.

"I think we'll find an indoor team to play on," Justin said. "But I'm glad we got the opportunities to finish our college careers together."

Others

• Alabama senior defender Lauren Imwalle (St. Ursula) was named to the All-Southeastern Conference second team for women's soccer. Imwalle, a four-year starter and co-captain, is ninth on the Crimson Tide's all-time list in minutes played, with 5,428. Senior midfielder Katie Holtzapfel (Ryle) started 19 games and had five assists this season.

• Ohio Northern's Kendra Bailey (Felicity-Franklin) and Wittenberg's Amber Bishop (Batavia) and Haley Warden (Indian Hill) were named to the Kiwanis-Wittenberg 2003 Tip-Off Classic's all-tournament team.

• Duquesne senior tight end Matt Mefford (Wyoming) was named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's first team.

• Southern Indiana senior setter Kim Boehmer (Roger Bacon) was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region team in a vote done by AVCA members. Boehmer is USI's first two-time AVCA all-region player in the program's 24-year history.

• Otterbein senior guard Diana Esterkamp (McAuley) was named Ohio Athletic Conference player of the week after earning MVP honors in the Penn State-Behrend Tournament. She had 37 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in two wins last weekend.

• Wilmington College offensive lineman Bryan Kennedy (Northwest) was picked for the All-Ohio Athletic Conference second team. Senior Abe Lawson (Fairfield) was named All-OAC honorable mention offensive line.

• Urbana men's soccer player B.J. Gregory (Mason) was named honorable mention All-American Mideast Conference South Division after scoring nine goals for the Blue Knights. Urbana freshman running back Wymon Parham (Harmony) was named honorable mention All-Mid States Football Association.

• Northern Kentucky University volleyball players Kristin Koralewski and Cammi Welter (McAuley) were named All-Great Lakes Region by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

• Mount St. Joseph defensive lineman Eric Johnson (Withrow) has been selected to play for the American Football Coaches Association's Division III all-star team that will represent the United States against the Mexican national team in the Aztec Bowl on Dec. 13 in Cancun, Mexico.

• Mount St. Joseph sophomore guard Paul Volkerding (Harrison) was named Heartland Collegiate Conference men's basketball player of the week. In two Franklin Savings Tip-Off Tournament games, Volkerding scored 44 points, with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.

• Cincinnati State freshman forward Omar Cummings tied for Ohio Community College Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors, and Surge coach Mike Combs was co-Coach of the Year. Zac Van Frank (Clermont Northeastern), David Scheller (Anderson) and Derrick Ofori were named to the first team, while Ryan Schneider (Roger Bacon) and Adam Grimm (North College Hill) were named to the second team.

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E-mail srussell@enquirer.com