Goalkeeper Sophia Boggs leads way for C.B. South

"I thought it was going in," a shocked referee remarked.

The comment was directed to Betsy Bullock, the Central Bucks South girls' soccer coach, as she stood on the sideline while her team played Pennsbury in a district playoff game.

The official made a slight miscalculation, because the Titans have Sophia Boggs in goal. Which means, often, when you think the ball will end up in the back of the net, it does not. Most of the time, the junior finds a way to keep it out.

"Sophia is the real deal," Bullock said. "She is technically sound - athletic. She just gives it all. She throws herself around the goalmouth."

A commanding presence in the box, Boggs isn't quiet in the back.

It wasn't always like that, though.

Her first experience with the position came when she was 7 or 8, as she split her time between being a field player and a goalkeeper. Then her coach took her mother aside when Boggs was 9, telling them that he saw potential in her to play keeper full time.

That's when she met Simon Robinson, her trainer. That's also when she started to fall in love with the position. The correlation is not a coincidence.

"Training is the best part. It's fun," Boggs said. "Games are when you get to show it off, but training is so exciting. You basically dive for an hour and 30 minutes.

"When you are a goalie, you love that kind of stuff."

As a freshman, Boggs earned a spot in the starting lineup but suffered a torn tendon in her right thumb early on. Then as a sophomore, the keeper went down with a concussion.

As a result, this season is her first full one for the Titans (14-7-2). C.B. South, which was the 24th seed in the District 1 playoffs, earned the fifth and final spot in the PIAA Class AAA tournament after some gutsy one-goal wins.

Their season continues Tuesday when the Titans head to Exeter Township High School for a 7:30 p.m. matchup with Daniel Boone.

"People ask me how we've gotten so far," Boggs said. "No other answer but our defense. Nothing else would have gotten us this far."

In the district quarterfinals, Central Bucks East forward and Penn recruit Emma Loving let one fly. The ball was in the upper right corner. Even with that kind of placement, Loving expressed doubt afterward that it was going in.

"She looked like she was close," a relieved Loving said of her goal.

"Sophia Boggs is phenomenal," Loving added. "I think being able to get one on her was a bit of a sigh of relief. She's intimidating. She makes you better when you play against her."

How did the Titans garner some big-time wins and put together a streak good enough to put them in the state playoffs?

Defense, as Boggs noted. And she is an integral part of it.