Christina Ford, coach of newly crowned District 1 Class AAA field hockey champion Central Bucks South, is hoping her team can take things one step further this season as the PIAA playoffs get under way Tuesday.

The Titans (17-3-1), losers to Neshaminy in last season's district final, earned the six-year-old school's first district title Saturday by beating Owen J. Roberts, 3-0. Now their aim is to get past the state semifinals, in which they were eliminated last year by eventual runner-up Hershey, 4-1.

Their quest begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Wissahickon against 19-5 Cocalico, the fifth-place team from District 3.

"We've been playing some strong hockey lately," said an optimistic Ford, who took over for Meg Hutchinson this season. According to Ford, South's passing game has been the key to its success.

The Titans' losses were twice to Souderton and once to Quakertown in the tight Suburban One League Continental Conference. Since losing to the Souderton Indians on Oct. 12, South has won eight in a row. Goalie Liz Lewallen has posted four shutouts in the string, three of them in the playoffs.

Kayla Kieney and Maddy Harding have led the Titans' offense with 15 and 14 goals, respectively. Backs Kate Schneider and Sarah Hughes have been keys on defense.

South is just one of 11 area teams opening state play Tuesday. In Class AAA action, Roberts (18-3-1) takes on Parkland (18-3), the District 11 runner-up, at 6 p.m. at Central Bucks West.

Wissahickon (20-1), the third-place team from District 1, travels to Governor Mifflin in Shillington for a 4 p.m. game with Hempfield (17-3), the District 3 second-place finisher.

District 12 champion Archbishop Prendergast (14-6) meets Great Valley (18-1), District 1's fourth-place team, at the Public League's Germantown super-site at 4 p.m.

Radnor and Pennsbury, the District 1 fifth- and sixth-place teams, respectively, appear to have the toughest Class AAA road. The Red Raiders (18-4) face defending state champion Penn Manor (22-0-1) at Governor Mifflin at 6 p.m. The Falcons (16-6-1) go to Whitehall to take on perennial power Emmaus (22-0-1).

Penn Manor and Emmaus feature two of the state's top goal scorers in Jill Witmer (51 goals) and Alley Evans (45).

District 1 AA champion Villa Maria Academy (20-1) plays Milton Hershey, the District 3 fifth-place team, as the 4 p.m. first game of the doubleheader at Wissahickon. District 1 runner-up Sacred Heart (12-10-1) is also part of a doubleheader, taking on District 12 representative Archbishop Carroll (12-1) at the Germantown super-site at 2.