Central Bucks South will face Canon-McMillan in Saturday’s PIAA Class 4A state title game at Hersheypark Stadium. Check back for a game recap.
They don’t have a roster filled with big-name players.
Colgate recruit Sophia Boggs – Central Bucks South’s standout goalie – is the one exception. After that, the Titans’ roster is comprised of a bunch of blue-collar players whose tenacious workmanlike performances have netted remarkable results.
“Everybody is good – there’s no superstar,” coach Betsy Bullock said.
The Titans might not have a lineup of superstars, but they do have outstanding athletes on their roster. That fact was underscored at Wednesday’s special Letter of Intent/College Commitment recognition event. Three members of the soccer team were honored – none of the three will be playing collegiate soccer.
Senior tri-captain Courtney Taylor has signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at Temple while senior Krysta Reading has committed to play lacrosse at Lock Haven University. Senior Taylor Marinelli has signed to play softball at St. Joseph’s University.
“For a coach, it’s really nice to have athletic girls, but the fact that they’re playing other sports and they’re still stars in soccer is not only an indication of their love of the sport but also their athleticism,” Bullock said. “It’s a great thing. I think Krysta Reading hit the nail on the head when she said there are no superstars. We all play well together, and that’s how teams win championships.”
Each athlete has her own story. Reading grew up in a soccer family, and lacrosse was a late entry on the scene.
“I didn’t start playing until sixth grade, and it was shorty after that I realized ‘ Wow, I think lacrosse is my sport,” the senior defender said.
While it may be the sport of her future, soccer is at the top of her list these days.
“I do love soccer beyond belief, but it’s also the people I play with,” Reading said. “I love going on the field, I love playing, I love the people I play with, I love the coaches – I love everything about soccer.
“Through this journey, I’ve learned so many things, and honestly, it’s awesome, especially going to the state finals. It’s so exciting, and it reminds me how much I love the sport of soccer and how much I love playing for a team, no matter if it’s soccer or lacrosse. There’s so much joy in it.”
Taylor also can’t imagine life without soccer and her travel coach has already made inquiries at Temple to see if there’s a way she could play both.
“My (lacrosse) coach said no for my freshman year,” Taylor said. “Maybe my sophomore or even my fifth year.”
Like her teammates, Taylor also appreciates the bond the players share.
“It makes us want to play and keep staying together even if you don’t play,” she said. “I don’t think I could not play it just because everyone on the team makes you want to keep playing.”
Marinelli’s situation is especially unique. One of the area’s premiere softball players, she has seen limited playing time as a backup to Boggs. It would have been easy to walk away and focus on softball.
“I don’t quit,”Marinelli said. “I try not to quit even though it could be hard sometimes.
“I always try to stay positive. We’re all like a family on and off the field.”
Marinelli described the Titans’ postseason run as ‘unbelievable.’
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said. “We all know we have to push our hardest, and that it’s going to be a great experience.
“This is the furthest we’ve ever been with South girls’ soccer. We know we have to make it worth it. We’ve worked so hard, and we can’t let down now.”
According to Boggs, the unusual assortment of athletes on the roster has contributed to the team’s success.
“Honestly, the amount of (college) commits we have that are not for soccer shows how athletic we are as a team,” the senior goalie said. “I think that’s one of our strong suits because it’s not just about soccer.
“It’s about our whole life in general. Soccer is not everyone’s top priority, and I think that pushes us through. When we win, we win as a team, and when we lose, we lose as a team. We’re not blaming anyone, it’s no one’s fault, and we move on to the next game.”
Senior Maddie Koch has committed to continue her soccer career at Virginia Wesleyan.
“I think it’s great that girls like Courtney (Taylor) and Krysta (Reading) - who are amazing at lacrosse - stuck with soccer,” Koch said. I think it shows real commitment to the soccer team, and it obviously pays off.”
Senior Corinne McDonald will be continuing her soccer career at Scranton.
“She’s a great asset up top,” said Koch, going on to acknowledge the contributions of Marinelli off the bench. “Taylor is the most positive person I know. She is awesome.
“She always has a smile. You come off the bench and you’re tired, and she’s like, ‘You can do it. Ten more minutes.’ She is awesome.
“And that’s another big thing – even the people who don’t always play, they’re on the bench cheering the entire time. They’re always standing on their feet, and it really pulls us together.”
Just one win – another challenge in District 7 runner-up Canon-McMillan – separates the Titans from their program’s first ever state title.
“It means the world, especially for the seniors,” Boggs said. “We have been talking about this since freshman year.
“Our freshman year we didn’t make playoffs, let alone Hershey, and that was really upsetting. Sophomore year we started to pick it up, and from the time we got in the playoffs this year, all we kept saying was Hershey, Hershey, Hershey. If you see any of our posts on social media, it’s always been #Hershey because we’ve been excited for so long.”
“It’s so exciting,” Koch added. “I couldn’t ask for a better way to end my senior year.
“I’m talking to my coaches at Virginia Wesleyan, and they’re like, ‘We’re so pumped for you.’ It’s really something special, and no matter what the outcome is – I’m so happy that I got to do it with this group of girls.”
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South’s trip to the state title game makes it a trifecta for the Central Bucks schools. CB West was the 2014 PIAA Class AAA champion, and CB East was the 2015 PIAA Class AAA runner-up. This time around, the Titans are in the spotlight.
“West wasn’t that hard to see because we knew how good they were, and we weren’t really that into the groove yet my sophomore year,” Boggs said. “Seeing East go last year – it really made us motivated even more because they had beaten us every game last year.
“We knew if we played them again we knew how to play them. That was all we wanted – to play them again, and we didn’t have a chance. It’s not that we wanted to see them lose, but we knew that we wanted to be there.”
The players always believed – 100 percent according to Boggs – that their day would come, and it has.
In Saturday’s state title showdown against Canon-Millan, the Titans again will once again line up across from some big name players – Sabrina Bryan and Aideen O’Donoghue – who have combined for 62 goals. It’s nothing new for a group of players that is the very definition of a team, and the Titans will tackle it together. #Hershey.
#1-4 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH v. #7-2 CANON-McMILLAN (at Hersheypark Stadium, 4 p.m., PCN TV)
Central Bucks South
- District 1 AAAA fourth-place
- 19-5-1 overall record
- 9-2-1 SOL Continental second place
- Titans boast 16 shutouts and have allowed more than one goal just three times
- Senior keeper Sophia Boggs has proven herself as one of the best in the state, an athletic and smart player who covers her box exceptionally well. Her defenders, Courtney Taylor, Margot Centofanti, Nicole Wills and Laurel Gogel are excellent as a unit and cover for each other adeptly.
- Corinne McDonald, Brooke Steigerwalt and Aleksa Peev lead the Titans attack.
How they got here:
- After finishing fourth in the District One 4A Tournament, the Titans opened state play with a 4-0 win over District 12 champion Central. Sophomore Mackenzie Edwards scored a pair of goals and assisted on another while Chelsea Nichols and Kyle Lutteroty both added single goals.
- In the quarterfinal round, senior Corinne McDonald broke a 1-1 halftime tie with a goal that proved to be the game winner in South’s 2-1 win over Hempfied, District 3’s third place team. Maddie Koch also scored for the Titans.
- Central Bucks South punched its ticket to the state title game with a 1-0 win over District 3 runner-up Manheim Township. The game winner was set up by Aleksa Peev whose shot ricocheted off the far post, and sophomore Brooke Steigerwalt was there to punch it in for the game winner.
Canon-McMillan
- District 7 AAAA runner-up
- 21-1-1 overall
- Canon-McMillan to Central Bucks West 2-1 in overtime in 2014 state title game
- Led by Hofstra recruit Sabrina Bryan (33 goals, 31 assists) and Rutgers recruit Aideen O’Donoghue (29 goals, 21 assists)
- Only loss of the season came at the hands of nationally-ranked Norwin (3-1) when the Big Macs were without Sabrina Bryan
How they got here:
- In an opening round game, Canon-McMillan defeated District 10 champion Erie McDowell 2-1. Sophomore Addie Roman scored both goals.
- In a high profile quarterfinal contest, Canon-McMillan avenged its only loss of the season, handing previously undefeated WPIAL 4A champion Norwin a 3-1 loss. Sabrina Bryan scored a pair of goals, and Annabel Thomas connected for the game winner.
- In Tuesday’s state semifinal, Sabrina Bryan and Addie Roman each scored a pair of goals to lead Canon-McMillan to a 4-1 win over District 3 champion Cumberland Valley.
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