Men's Lacrosse: Gators Beat Upper State Power Clover 19-12, Finish Regular Season 15-1

River Bluff's men's lacrosse team got ahead early on the road Wednesday night and never looked back as they dominated in true team-effort style to win 19-12 over Clover.

The Gators made a statement early with six goals in the first quarter and another six in the second. They added four and three in the third and fourth quarter respectively to maintain a somewhat comfortable lead throughout the game.

Eric Brightbill was the top scorer for River Bluff scoring six goals out of eight shots for a phenomenal 75% shooting percentage. Michael Shields scored one goal and was a part of three assists, while Banks Smith added three goals and two assists as well. Jackson Register and Mason Wardrup scored three goals each helping River Bluff maintain its rank as one of the top offenses in the state.

The Gators dominated in face-offs, winning 23 of 35 and had possession of the ball for just under 65% of the time. The Gators registered 50 shots, out of which 47 were on target, and their 39 ground balls helped them set the pace and restrict Clover's opportunities. Clover still managed to have 32 shots at goal and 28 saves, but River Bluff's ability and strength throughout the game were the decisive factors. Clover had the number one player in the nation for points per game at 11, but was held to only three, along with five turnovers on 20% shooting, thanks to Michael Lawrence's great defensive efforts.

The Gators end their record-setting season with 15 wins and one loss and look forward to a first-round bye in the AAAAA Lower State Playoffs next week.