River Bluff entered Friday night’s game against White Knoll undefeated. The team was 5-0 and looking to avoid the same trap they fell into last season. 

The Gators had a lot of momentum in 2023 until they hit region play. The team started 5-1 but went winless against conference foes. River Bluff made sure that didn’t happen this season. 

In an overtime thriller, the Gators defeated last year's undefeated region champions, White Knoll, 24-21 after kicker Tripp Bryant nailed a 27-yard walkoff field goal. 

“I was feeling confident. I really just trust my snapper and holder, and it just flows from there,” Bryant said after the game. 

Bryant missed two long field goal attempts from 49 and 57 yards in the first half, but when the moment mattered most, his confidence never wavered and he nailed the winning chip shot.

“We got all the faith in the world in him,” River Bluff head coach Blair Hardin said. “He's a four-year starter for us. He did his job and finished at the end, so I'm proud of him.” 

The Gators were in prime position to win in regulation, leading 21-7 with six minutes left. But a White Knoll touchdown, followed by an onside kick recovery gave the Timberwolves an opportunity to tie the game in the final minutes. 

Quarterback Landon Sharpe ran in the tying touchdown with two minutes left on the clock. He scored all three touchdowns for the Timberwolves on the ground, but also made costly mistakes that hurt his team badly. 

Sharpe threw three interceptions in the contest. One at the start which led to a River Bluff touchdown, another at the end of regulation that prevented his team from scoring and one in overtime that set up the River Bluff game-winner. 

Nathan Shuman came away with the game-changing interception in overtime. That play prevented White Knoll from getting any points and meant River Bluff just needed a field goal to win. 

“That helped us win the game,” Hardin said.  “It’s just a total team effort, and it's fun to be a part of.” 

In regulation, the Gators leaned on their run game. Running back Hayden Myers finished with 187 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Darius Caine also had a touchdown on the ground. 

“We wanted to chip away, try to keep their offense off because they've scored so many points,” Hardin said. “I'm just so proud of our offensive line and our running backs. Just being freaking physical.”

Starting Gator quarterback Parker Murray exited the game in the second half with pain in his throwing arm. Backup Brayden Moore came in and led the Gators on two touchdown drives. He had one touchdown pass after hitting receiver Aaron Griffin in the back corner of the endzone for the go-ahead score on the first play of the fourth quarter. 

“Brayden got equal reps all summer and all spring, and we treat him just like we do Parker. So, he did his job and helped our football team,” Hardin said. 

With the win, River Bluff improved to 6-0 for the first time since 2019. The Gators finished second in the region that season with their lone loss coming to Dutch Fork. After the winless season last year, the Gators start 1-0 with fierce competition ahead of them. 

“We didn't win a game last year in our region, and I told our seniors that all week,” Hardin said. “I'm proud of just how our whole team competed. White Knoll is a heck of a football team. It was a heck of a high school football match, and I'm just so proud of our coaches, our players, and this is our region. It's gonna be like this every Friday.”

The Gators are back in action next week on the road against a fellow unbeaten team. River Bluff and Irmo are set to meet next Friday at 7:30. 

“We’ve got to flush it and get ready because it's only going to get tougher,” Hardin said. “We'll enjoy it, flush it and move forward.” 

Area scoreboard

Dutch Fork: 63, Chapin: 10

Irmo: 34, Lexington: 8

Ninety Six: 42, Pelion: 8

Northside Christian: 14, Providence Athletic Club: 12

Swansea vs. Keenan (Saturday at 6:30)