River Bluff’s second-place finish in last season’s 5A Division I State Championship was the best in Gator program history. 

The team returns a lot of talent from last season’s squad, including four of its top-five players. Charli Heaton, Emery Jones, Merritt Wham and Grace Shelly all got great experience and played in last year’s final. Kelly Huang and Kate Larochelle will also be contributors this year. 

“I’m  very excited about this group. They're extremely hardworking. They seem very driven to succeed,” Gator head coach Roger Smith said.  ”They've seen that they can be successful. We've had some early-season success too. It’s just going to be tough to manage expectations.”

The Gators are aiming high this year. Smith said the team wants to finish in the top five at every event they play at this year and make a push for a region title, a feat River Bluff has never achieved. 

“We kind of feel like we're a top-three team in the state right now,” Smith said. “I won't put it state championship or bust or anything like that. But I feel like the top three is definitely where we should be.” 

The other coaches around the state agree with Smith. In the latest girls golf rankings, the Gators ranked No. 2 in 5A Division I behind Dorman and just ahead of Lexington. 

River Bluff has looked strong so far this season. The team has competed in events such as the Lady Bengal, Lady Rebel, Palmetto Preview and May River Invitational. The Gators took third, third, second and second at those tournaments. 

In the Gators’ most recent outing at the May River Invitational, they broke their previous 18-hole team scoring record, shooting 308 in the opening round. The team finished runner-up in the tournament after forcing a playoff against defending 5A-Division II champs T.L. Hanna.

“ We’re right there. We're not sneaking up on anybody anymore,” Smith said. 

River Bluff still has a few more major events before state qualifiers. The team will play in the Palmetto Tournament of Champions on Sept. 12, the WSCGA High School Invitational on Sept. 19 and the CGA - HV3 Invitational on Sept. 30.

The team will host the 19th Annual Smith Memorial tournament on Oct. 7 in honor of Smith’s parents. The following week, the region championship and state tournament schedule begins.