North Augusta started the golf season with an impressive win in the Red Raider Invitational and they have not taken their foot of the gas since.

The Yellow Jackets posted a 297 total to finish on top of the Upper State AAAA Qualifying tournament at The Links at Stoney Point.

Since there were no medals or awards given out the Yellow Jackets had to settle for the fact they know they are playing very well and appear to be ready to make a serious run at the AAAA state championship next week.

“Our guys played well considering this was only the second time we have been on this course,” said North Augusta coach Travis Spears. “The team is pretty excited about the state championship next week,” he added.

And the Yellow jackets should be excited. They are playing well and the AAAA state championship will be played on their home course, The River Club in North Augusta.

Playing well and having the championship on your home course could make North Augusta the favorite, but their coach will not hear any of that,

“You have to play golf, You have to control your shots and you can’t do anything about anybody else,” he said.

As well as North Augusta, Greenville, and Greenwood played in the Upper State getting ready for the championship, the defending champions made a statement in the Lower State Qualifying tournament,.

AC Flora may not be ready to give up the title just yet.

Last year AC Flora ran away with the title with North Augusta finishing a distant second. This year Flora looks every bit as strong as last year.

The Falcons finished on top of the Lower State Qualifying tournament at the Traces Golf Course in Florence posting an impressive 271.

Flora was 43 shots in front of Hartsville when the round was finished. The Falcon’s Adam Hunt was the top finisher shooting a 5-under par 67.

At Stoney Point, Greenville finished second at 305 while Greenwood had a strong showing firing a 307 to finish third.

The Red Raiders Tip Price would have been the medalist if medals were handed out.

Price shot a 3-under par 69 to finish a shot in front of North Augusta’s Davis Neal and Eastside’s Beau Lewis who finished at even par.

Indian Land’s Mason Kucia shot an identical round this year at Stoney Point as he did last year before he went on to win his second straight AAAA individual title.

“I’m happy our team qualified,” said Kucia. “I think we have the kind of team that if we put it all together we could have a chance to win,” he said.

The two-time defending individual champion is coming off the individual title at the Southern Cross.

A win in the most important high school event in the state could be a season highlight all its own, but Kucia is taking aim at a back to back to back state championships.

“The field for the Southern Cross was great and winning was great, but I would really like to get another state title,” said the Indian Land sophomore.

He will get his chance next week .