By The Hays Daily News

TECUMSEH -- It was a playoff game. Somebody had to win.

It took four overtimes and a shootout to decide the winner of Tuesday's semifinal in the Class 5A regional between the boys' soccer teams from Hays High School and Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights.

After 80 minutes of regulation and four overtimes, the score was knotted at 1-1. But Hays High lost 4-3 on penalty kicks to see its season come to an end.

"Unfortunately, somebody had to lose that one," Hays High coach Chris Michaelis said, adding the players "did everything I asked of them, and more. Couldn't be prouder of them."

Hays High (7-8-2) scored first, in the 13th minute on junior Caden Junk's first goal of the season. The Indians conceded the equalizer in the 22nd, as Shawnee Heights (9-8) leveled the score on a goal by Connor Vining.

Hays High went first in the shootout, with junior Devin Schmidt converting his PK. Vining answered for Shawnee Heights to make it 1-1. HHS senior Adam Adams missed, but so did the Thunderbirds' Joey Carson.

Senior Christian Bills also missed for the Indians, and Tyler Jordan made his PK to give Shawnee Heights a 2-1 lead. Senior Joaquin Guzman scored for HHS, but so did Casey Waniska for Shawnee Heights.

The Indians' last attempt was converted by junior Trey Herman to make it 3-3, but Luke Townsend scored for his side to give the Thunderbirds the result.

Hays High sophomore goalkeeper Hunter Wilkens made 19 saves, and Shawnee Heights keeper Cole Rickabaugh had 15 saves.