Central Bucks South, Council Rock North, North Penn, Neshaminy and Springfield Township will be in action in Monday’s opening round of the PIAA State Tournament. Check back for recaps.
The District One Tournament has not been particularly kind to the Suburban One League in recent years. Last year, Council Rock North snuck into the PIAA Class 6A Tournament as the fifth and final seed and advanced to the quarterfinals. That has been the extent of the SOL’s participation in states since 2014 when Souderton – the third place team out of District One – captured the PIAA Class 4A title.
Souderton’s state title run capped an impressive stretch by the SOL in the state tournament. In the 2013 state title game, District One runner-up Neshaminy fell to Canon McMillan 4-3 in 12 innings. In 2012, Central Bucks South – after finishing third in districts – edged Bishop Shanahan 1-0 in nine innings to capture the state title. The 2011 PIAA Class 4A title game was a rerun of the district title game with district champion Hatboro-Horsham edging district runner-up Pennsbury 4-3. In the 2010 state title game, District One champion Central Bucks South fell to Mount Lebanon 1-0.
The SOL’s drought became nothing but a distant memory this spring with the league capturing four of five PIAA 6A tournament berths – only fourth-seeded Garnet Valley crashed the all-SOL party this year.
The SOL’s strong showing in district play didn’t end in Class 6A. In Class 3A, Springfield Township made history when it captured the program’s first district title since 1994 and earned its first state berth in 24 years as well.
All five teams will be in action in Monday’s opening round of states.
CLASS 3A
#1-1 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH
The curse is over.
In the midst of a giddy postgame celebration after South’s 1-0 win over Council Rock North to capture the District One 6A title, senior Maddie McShane turned to athletic trainer Rick Sierzega and said simply, “It’s finally over.”
“It was bittersweet because after three years we finally won something,” McShane said. “I turned to Rick because he’s been with us the past three years when we lost in soccer and basketball.”
Finishing second had become something of a habit for McShane. The Titans’ senior catcher played soccer for a South squad that finished second in the state in 2016. This past winter, she was a starter on South’s varsity basketball team that fell to Souderton in the SOL Tournament title game and then lost to that same Indians’ squad in the District One 6A championship game. The Titans completed the trifecta with a runner-up finish to Upper Dublin in the PIAA 6A state title game.
“Alexa Brodie texted me yesterday and said, ‘Good luck tomorrow. Bring at least one home,’” McShane said of her basketball teammate. “Going into the game, I said, ‘Rick, we’re going to find out if the streak is still going on.’
“Right after the game ended, I turned to him and said, ‘It’s broken.’ He said, ‘Yes, it is.’ It’s really special after playing three sports at South – it only took until my last season to finally win something.”
In 2012, McShane and senior shortstop Alex DeLeon were teammates on the Warrington-Warwick Little League softball team that captured the state title.
“Me and Alex have been playing together since we were eight years old,” McShane said. “Now it’s all coming full circle.”
“This is amazing,” DeLeon said. “The last few years we’ve lost in the first round or we lost in the second round if we had a bye.
“It’s amazing after those years finally winning our first game and making it all the way to the district one championship. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Central Bucks South (20-3, 9-3 SOL) will face SOL National Conference champion Neshaminy in Monday’s opening round game at Plymouth Whitemarsh (5 p.m.).
How they got here: Central Bucks South lived up to its top seed in District One 6A. Pitcher Kylie Kenney was the catalyst in the Titans’ district run, allowing just one run and tossing three shutouts in four games. Making those shutouts even more significant was the fact that all three – against #16 Central Bucks West in the opening round, #4 North Penn in the district semifinals and #19 Council Rock North in the title game – were by identical 1-0 scores. In the second round, the Titans defeated #8 Conestoga 5-1.
#1-2 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH
Lauren Begg graciously accepted the compliments of Central Bucks South captain Alex DeLeon, who sought the Indians’ pitcher out after Thursday’s District One 6A title game. Begg is no longer an outfielder turned pitcher out of necessity. She’s a legitimate ace in the circle. Since the Indians’ 5-4 opening round win over third-seeded Avon Grove, Begg has allowed just two runs in three games, including one run and four hits in Rock North’s 1-0 loss to top-seeded Central Bucks South in Thursday’s title game.
The junior pitcher – committed to La Salle University to play outfield – admits she’s starting to feel like a pitcher.
“I would say so,” Begg said. “I’m really enjoying it. It’s fun.”
Begg and company have had a whole lot of fun upsetting one higher seeded team after another en route to the district title game.
“It’s really great to be the 19th seed and make it to the championship game,” Begg said. “I’m excited to see where the state tournament takes us.
“Even after this loss – we played really well as a team, we have energy and we’re excited to see what happens.”
Teammate Juliana Shields echoed a similar sentiment.
“We’re super excited, especially since our record wasn’t too great in the regular season as we’d hoped, but we really rallied in the end and we went on a winning streak,” the Indians’ junior shortstop said. “I think it was just our energy and our pride in the team. We just came together as a team and had excitement all together.
“Going into states is something special, and even if we didn’t make it to the championship, we’d still be proud to make it to states, especially for the second year in a row. I think we can go far if we keep on a roll and believe in ourselves.”
Council Rock North (16-8, 7-5 SOL) will face District 11 runner-up Nazareth in Monday’s opening round at Methacton High School (3:30 p.m.)
How they got here: Council Rock North began its magic carpet ride through the District One 6A Tournament with a 10-8 win over #14 Souderton in an opening round game. The Indians followed that with a 5-4 upset of #3 Avon Grove in the second round and then sent #6 Neshaminy to the playback round with a 3-1 quarterfinal win. In a semifinal contest, Rock North upended #15 Garnet Valley 2-0 before falling to #1 Central Bucks South 1-0 in the title game.
Nazareth is making its first state appearance since 2006. After an opening round bye in the District 11 Tournament, the second-seeded Blue Eagles rolled to a 10-0 win over #7 Liberty in the second round. In the district semifinals, Nazareth edged #3 Northampton 2-0 before falling to #1 Parkland 5-4 in a game the Blue Eagles led 4-0. Juniors Serena Smith (.515, 37 RBIs) and Samantha Gorkos (.527) lead Nazareth at the plate. Gorkos is 16-4 in the circle with a 1.77 earned run average. She has 152 strikeouts in 114.2 innings.
#1-3 NORTH PENN
North Penn appeared to be all but unstoppable after scoring 23 runs in a pair of mercy rule wins to open district tournament play, but the Knights were derailed by Central Bucks South in the district semifinals in a 1-0 loss. A rematch with the Titans is not out of the realm of possibility, but that is not the Knights’ concern just yet.
“We know they’re still in it – if we saw them again, that would be great, but we’re just excited to keep going on because we didn’t win districts and we all wanted to win districts, so now we have a shot at something bigger,” senior Emily Groarke said.
The Knights rebounded from their loss to CB South to defeat Garnet Valley in Thursday’s third place game.
“We wanted to come back from that loss and rally going into states,” Groarke said.
The Knights’ starting lineup includes an interesting mix with three seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and one freshman – pitcher Mady Volpe.
“I think we all just click really well,” Groarke said. “We have five captains, and we all like each other.
“That’s the thing – we all have really good team chemistry and there’s no drama between any of us, which is really rare and it’s nice to be a part of that. It was like that last year too, and it just feels good this year because we have a freshman pitcher that we can really rely on. Even though she’s young, she’s great, and we all have her back.”
Led by Groarke and fellow senior captains Courtney Neal, Tori Chiu, Laura Brock and Erin Cliver, the Knights rode that good chemistry to a SOL Continental Conference co-championship with CB South. The senior right fielder, who transferred to North Penn from Dock Mennonite Academy as a junior, is savoring every minute of her final high school season.
“I was really excited last year because I was coming to a new competitive environment, but this year being a senior – I want to make it the best one yet,” Groarke said. “I’ve grown up with these girls. I knew them from before. We’re been together for so long, and it’s just exciting being able to play with them, and knowing this is my last year, I want to make it the best.”
North Penn (19-5, 9-3 SOL) will face St. Hubert’s, the top seed from District 12, in an opening round game at Arcadia University on Monday at 1:30 p.m.
How they got here: After an opening round bye, North Penn rolled to mercy rule wins over #13 Quakertown (13-2) and #12 Coatesville (10-0). The Knights fell to top-seeded Central Bucks South 1-0 in the quarterfinals but came back to defeat #15 Garnet Valley 5-3 in the third place game.
St. Hubert’s earned the District 12 6A title with a 6-0 win over Central. The Bambies were 8-4 in the Philadelphia Catholic League and finished in fifth place.
#1-5 NESHAMINY
Vic Smith and her fellow seniors experienced firsthand the agony and ecstasy that is the postseason. For three years, it had been more agony than ecstasy. Three years ago, Neshaminy – after an 17-2 regular season – earned the number one seed, and after rolling to an 8-0 win over Downingtown East in a second round game, the Redskins were sent home for the season by ninth-seeded Owen J Roberts (4-3).
A year later, the third-seeded Redskins fell to 19th-seeded West Chester East 2-0 in the second round, and last year, the Redskins – this time seeded second – fell to 15th-seeded Council Rock South 8-6 in a second round game.
“We’d do great in the regular season, get a first round bye and go out first round of playoffs at home,” Smith said. “I was there to witness that.”
Anyone anywhere near Neshaminy’s softball field after Thursday’s 16-6 playback win over Conestoga might have heard the Redskins – in their postgame huddle – belting out Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Neshaminy had just clinched the fifth and final state berth. It was reason to celebrate.
“That’s kind of our team song, I guess,” Smith said with a laugh. “We were hanging on by a strand there, but it gave us a lot of confidence knowing we can come back, we can do this.
“People in school are asking, ‘You’re still playing?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, we’re still playing, we’re still in it.’ It’s a great unusual feeling.”
The SOL National Conference champions entered this year’s tournament as the sixth seed and fell to 19th-seeded Council Rock North 5-4 (10 innings) in a quarterfinal contest.
With their backs pressed firmly against the wall, the Redskins won the next two games to capture the final state berth.
“We’re really excited because I think we have a great chance of really going far,” Smith said. “We’re so pumped.
“Everybody’s working hard, everybody’s hearts are in it, especially now because we’re winding down. There’s only three games until the state championship game.”
Neshaminy (19-4, 10-2 SOL) will face District One champion Central Bucks South in Monday’s opening round at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (5 p.m.).
How they got here: In a second round district game, Neshaminy made easy business of #11 Ridley in a 7-1 win but then fell to #19 Council Rock North 5-4 in 10 innings. In a must-win playback game against #7 Downingtown West, Neshaminy earned a 3-2 win. The Redskins followed that with a 16-6 rout of #8 Conestoga in an abbreviated five-inning contest. They pounded out 18 hits, led by the three-hit efforts of Liana Jones (4 RBIs), Olivia Fee and Paige Metz. Alexis Watkins hit a three-run home run.
CLASS 3A
#1-1 SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP
Mary Kate Smith and her fellow seniors were undoubtedly wondering what they had to do to get past Dock Mennonite Academy when the district tournament rolled around. Twice – in Smith’s freshman and sophomore years – the Spartans fell to Dock in the district semifinals. Last year, the Spartans took it a step further, advancing to the district final where they fell to Dock by a 10-2 score.
This year the Spartans solved the mystery of Dock, earning a 3-0 win over their nemesis to capture the District One 3A title.
“I always said to the girls – there’s nothing like winning when you’re on the field,” Smith said. “We threw our gloves into the air, we all jumped into each other’s arms.
“I remember my friend Gabby (Gaskin), our third baseman. She was crying and she was like, ‘I’m so overwhelmed.’ There were so many great feelings because it wasn’t just a win for this year, it was a win for past years and how many times we’ve gotten so close.”
This is the program’s first district crown since 1994.
“Our school’s kind of going crazy over it because it’s been 20-something years since softball won districts,” Smith said. “It’s just been a roller coaster.”
The Spartans’ senior catcher had an idea this could be the year.
“I remember the first practice I said to the girls, ‘I want districts this year,’ so we’ve been practicing as a team so hard since day one,” Smith said. “As the season went on, everyone wanted it.
“It was such a team effort throughout the whole season. It was just awesome. This year everything just clicked. Everybody worked as a team.”
Smith pointed to the important contributions of Chloe Morales (second base), Kate Wojeck (right field) and Mikayla Quinn (left field).
“They worked so hard, and even with new players in new positions, it just all fell into place,” Smith said.
Monday’s opening round game against Masterman is the program’s first state tournament game since 1994.
“It’s so exciting, so exciting,” Smith said. “The past three years we lost to Dock, so beating them and going into states, it’s such an overwhelming feeling in so many good ways.
“I’m so excited to see where we end up.”
Springfield Township will take on District 12 Class 3A champion Masterman at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School on Monday (3 p.m.).
How they got here: In the district semifinals, Springfield Township defeated #3 New Hope-Solebury 10-0 in an abbreviated contest and followed that up with a 3-0 win over #1 Dock Mennonite Academy in Thursday’s district title game. Junior pitcher Hannah Sebenick tossed two complete game shutouts, striking out 11 and walking none in both games.
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