With 20 minutes remaining in a first-round playoff game against Elkmont, things looked bleak for Tanner’s boys soccer team Tuesday night.

Trailing 3-1, Tanner overcame a two-goal deficit in the final 20 minutes to force overtime and beat its county rival 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout. With the win, Tanner advanced to the 1A-3A quarterfinals to face Susan Moore on Friday.

Florindo Matias scored two goals, and Jose Moreno provided all three assists to help the Rattlers beat Elkmont for the first time in three tries this season.

With 44 seconds left until halftime, Moreno crossed the ball over three Red Devil defenders and connected with Matias to open the scoring.

After halftime, Elkmont scored two goals in the first seven minutes of the second half to take a 2-1 lead and went up 3-1 midway through the second half. Trailing by two goals with 20 minutes left, Tanner found a way to tie the game and force overtime.

“The last 20 minutes, I didn’t even know if I could watch,” said Tanner head coach Matt Smith. “It was so up-and-down. They had several good saves that Daniel (Enciso) saved. Elkmont’s goalie had several good saves. It was nerve-racking.”

Moreno again found Florindo at the backpost on a diving-header to pull within a goal with 17 minutes remaining. Moreno connected with David Pizano to tie the game 3-3 with eight minutes on the clock to set up a tense finish in regulation. Pizano had a break-away opportunity one-on-one with the goalie, but his chipped shot hit the post and the teams went into overtime. After two scoreless overtime periods, the teams went to kicks from the mark to decide the game.

“It was emotional,” Smith said. “I had both my seniors taking kicks in the shootout and another in goal. It would have been tough without them. I would put (that game) right up there with last year’s PK shootout with West Morgan.”

After, Frankie Vincent missed the opening attempt for Tanner, Matias, Moreno, Pizano and Adrian Godinez all made their kicks to beat Elkmont 4-3 in the penalty. Daniel Enciso had two saves in the penalty kick shootout.

Elkmont finished its season 15-3-1.

Tanner (11-11-1) and Susan Moore (17-3-1) play Friday at 7 p.m. in Blountsville.

Varsity girls

Guntersville 6, East Limestone 2

East Limestone’s season came to an end in the second round of the playoffs at the hands of the defending champions Tuesday. Guntersville took a 2-1 lead into halftime and pulled away in the second half with four more goals to advance to the quarterfinals.

Stefani Fleagle scored for East Limestone, to bring her goal tally to 55 this season. Alana Spears also scored for the Indians.

East Limestone finished its season with a 17-4-2 record.