The penalty shootout.

You sometimes survive it and your supporters cheer while the entire team mobs either the goalkeeper for making a crucial save or tackles the teammate who scored in the final frame of the shootout round.

You sometimes find yourself on the losing end as the spherical object rocketed toward the netting of your opponent somehow goes awry, hitting the goal post, sailing over the crossbar or actually being on target but landing in the grip of the goalie's gloves.

The Hempfield boys' soccer team had already notched an overtime victory in the first round of the District Three Class 4A playoffs before facing and defeating a familiar foe - Manheim Township - with an edge-of-your-seat penalty round at home on Saturday, October 30.

The third-seeded Black Knights improved to 11-5-1 with that victory only to come up short in the semifinals - yet another shootout - with second seed Dallastown. The Wildcats (19-2-1) and the Knights played through regulation and overtime deadlocked at 1-1 on Tuesday, November 2.

"Our midfield moved the ball well in the second half and created a lot of chances," head coach Mark Ashley said. "We scored in the second half and were all over them in the final 20 minutes - shots and corners - as well as overtime."

Nate Schwartz scored the equalizer in the second half. It was actually on a penalty kick called for a Wildcats hand ball in the box.

In the shootout, the Wildcats prevailed 4-2 with Owen Peri scoring the clincher.

Hempfield's fate in terms of the PIAA 4A seeding in state playoffs doesn't hinge on a third-fourth place consolation match. Rather, the team that lost to the eventual champion earns the third-place entry into the PIAA's while the team that lost to the runner-up goes in as the fourth seed.

Central Dauphin remained unbeaten (19-0-0) by topping Warwick 3-1 in the other semifinal match.

In the Township game, goalie Noah Felty started with two saves while Schwartz and Nate Leisure put the Knights up 2-0 in the shootout. Township battled back, taking advantage of two Hempfield misses to make it 2-2. Both teams made their next shot.

Ashley called on Felty to take the final shot, which he converted for the win.

"You could say he was the 'man of the hour,'" the coach quipped.

Felty and teammate Gunnar Swanger played important defensive roles during regulation.

"Noah played extremely well," said Ashley. "He punched a ball over the top on a corner kick where one of their dangerous attackers could have headed it in.

"Gunner was able to defend on a breakaway with a slide tackle just at the top of the 18," he added. "It may have prevented a goal."

For more photos, see townlively.com

FOOTBALL

There were a number of motivations for the Hempfield football team as it faced Section One rival Penn Manor on Friday night, October 29.

The Black Knights came into the game with a 5-4 record and, as most experts put it, "on the outside looking in."

Looking in at what? The District Three Class 6A playoffs.

Therefore, earning a playoff berth was one motivation.

"We talked about it all week, about having to win to get in," head coach George Eager stated. "Also for our seniors it was a big game - for them to keep playing. Plus, it was the 462 battle, which we started last year. Any of those motivated us to play hard. Now it allows us to continue our season."

The "462 battle" refers to the highway that connects the two schools.

Hempfield won this year's battle, 27-0 at Penn Manor

When the dust had settled, the Knights were no longer "looking in;" they were the sixth-seeded team in the field of eight qualifying for districts.

"Central Dauphin was fifth and they lost," Eager explained. "Wilson and Township were playing each other the last game of the season. We knew with our strength of schedule, we had a chance."

With an offense that gained 349 yards and a defense that continued to play tough, the Knights walked off the field playoff bound.

Juniors Stephen Katch and Grant Hoover combined for 278 rushing yards. Hoover ran for 109 yards on 17 carries and Katch another 169 yards on 18 rushes. They each scored twice.

"The offensive line really stepped up," said Eager.

"Grant is a kid, who prior to this week, hadn't gotten a ton of playing time," continued the coach. "Stephen Katch runs hard and makes people miss. He's big and strong but more elusive than most people think."

Katch scored the game's first touchdown with a 43-yard dash in the first quarter. Hoover made it 13-0 on his two-yard surge. The Knights gained a 20-0 advantage before halftime with Katch scoring from 27 yards out.

Hoover added a 17-yard touchdown run in the third stanza.

The Knights have shown time and again in 2021 that their defense helps win games. On Friday, they registered their first shutout while holding Penn Manor to under 40 yards offense.

"Defense has been the catalyst," Eager said. "Some of the bigger games we've won were tremendous defensive efforts.

"They are trusting each other and the scheme," he added. "Tackling has helped us - getting us off the field rather than giving up big plays."

Hempfield quarterback Cam Harbaugh completed six of eight passes for 75 yards. Tom Minnich caught three passes for 34 yards.

VOLLEYBALL

The Knights punched their ticket to the District Three 4A volleyball semifinals with sweeps over Chambersburg and Hershey

On Thursday, October 38, Hempfield posted 25-14, 25-10 and 25-13 winning sets against 15th-seeded Chambersburg in the opening round match at Landisville. Hempfield hosted Hershey on Tuesday, November 2. The Knights (16-0) didn't horse around with the Trojans, posting a 3-0 win - 25-16, 25-18 and 25-21.

CROSS COUNTRY

Aidan Hodge raced across the finish line at 16:04 to earn the gold in Saturday's District Three 3A boys' cross country championship at Big Spring. Hodge, a state-qualifier, helped Hempfield earn first in the team standings. The Knights nipped archrival Manheim Township by a point - 154 to 155. York Suburban finished third with 177.

Joe Fahrney finished 10th in the race (16:30). Fellow junior Isaiah Hollinger earned 41st place (17:14) while Sam Freedman ran a 17:21.1 clip and Emerson Long (17:24.9) finished 57th overall.

Sam Meyer and Dale Winand posted respective times of 17:37.3 and 17:38.8

The Hempfield girls, led by Ella Wolfe's 15th-place (19:24.1) state-qualifying finish, were 15th in the team standings. Dallastown (102) ran away with the team title, 29 points ahead of second-place Hershey.

Hempfield sophomore Molly Siebert was 40th (20:34.0).