Central Bucks South stages comeback to set up PIAA state final with CB East

An All-Central Bucks final between East and South is on tap for the PIAA state finals on Friday at Northeastern High School in Manchester.

But for several nervy moments on Tuesday night at Cocalico High School, it looked like CB South might not get another chance to show their dominance not only in their school district but across the commonwealth.

The Titans fell behind early on a Cameron Ofak goal against the run of play despite seeing the better of the ball in the early going. CB South’s equalizer came from Charlotte Manley with 19 to play but Central Dauphin retook the lead quickly on Ofak’s second of the night a minute later.

Trailing again, CB South’s offense went back to work and Tessa Hughes found an equalizer six minutes later and Khloe Montini delivered the game-winner with five minutes left off a through ball from Hughes to the left flank.

“When Tessa played that ball, it was a really good through ball, and I was kind of hoping to cross it or hit very far back post but it went over her head and went in and I was in shock,” said Montini, a sophomore. “I wasn’t expecting it at all.”

The goal set up an All-Central Bucks final in Class 4A on Friday at 1 p.m. at Northeastern High School in Manchester. It will be the fourth time the teams square off this season after splitting the regular season series and a CB South win in districts. CB East beat North Allegheny 1-0 on a first half goal to advance to their first state final since 2015.

“I think it was 50-5 shot ratio in the first half and we just couldn’t put it away,” CB South head coach Dana Cole said. “We finally gained a little confidence after the first goal and then we let up another one and caught on fire and decided it was our game.”

Central Dauphin finished the regular season ranked 11th in the District III power rankings but were bolstered by the return of senior midfielder Erika Murphy from an ACL injury during the district playoffs, where they qualified for states as a semifinalist. The 2022 state champions knocked off District 1 champions Pennridge to open the state tournament and PCL semifinalists and District XII champions Archbishop Carroll en route to Tuesday’s state semifinal.

Playing on a wide soccer pitch at Cocalico in blistering cold weather, Murphy and company were able to pick their spots in the counter attack and following an early wave of chances were able to find the opener and do just enough to keep CB South from scoring before the halftime break.

As the second half wore on, the second and third chances finally produced a breakthrough and after a goal line clearance by Brynley Powell on a shot from Katelyn Schmidt, a corner kick found the head of Manley, who nodded it in.

Ofak’s goal on a quick drive off the ensuing tip produced that resulted in a 2-1 lead for Central Dauphin could’ve spelled the end for CB South, but they refused to quit.

“We had a lot of chances and we moved the ball really well so I knew we just had to keep going and we would get back into it and get another goal,” Montini said.

CB South and CB East kick off at 1 p.m. on Friday. Another all-District 1 match-up in the boys Class 4A final kicks off at 10 a.m. between West Chester Henderson and Abington.