Four years ago, River Hill's Patrick Bindel was literally along for the ride.

As the lone freshman on a team stacked with seniors and experience, he would show up on match days donning his River Hill polo shirt and prepare to head out on the course for nine holes like everyone else.

The big difference was that Bindel usually didn't put on his golf shoes or grab his clubs from the back of his parents' car. Instead, he simply laced up his sneakers and hopped in the passenger seat of coach Matt Graves' golf cart.

On River Hill's seven-man squad that could only play six, Bindel often found himself as the odd-man out.

"He understood the deal, he wasn't going to play a lot and that meant watching the matches with me, but at the same time he was getting the chance to be a part of everything," Graves said. "I wouldn't have kept him if I didn't see the potential."

Bindel stood on the side that year, playing in only three matches (all as an alternate) and watching as River Hill rolled to a perfect 11-0 regular season, second place at the district meet and a spot in the state tournament. He clapped his hands and cheered on his teammates, soaking in the moments and using them as motivation to improve his game.

Now as the captain of the only remaining undefeated team in the county, Bindel is finally getting his chance to recreate that magic.

"It's almost like it's come full circle," Bindel said. "My first year going undefeated, then finishing in the middle the last two, to now having that chance to go undefeated again ... it's pretty cool. Also, the fact that I'm able to help this time, well, that obviously makes it that much better."

So far, Bindel's been doing more than just helping.

Through nine matches, he's scored 21 or more points in every round but one and holds the fourth-best scoring average in the county (23.7). Three times this season he's scored 26 points or better under the Stableford system (equivalent to 1-over par for nine holes), which was something he had never accomplished once in his previous three seasons.

Then again, Bindel, who has improved as much as any golfer over the past four years, is doing a lot of things he's never done before.

"I'm a completely different player, especially mentally," he said. "Getting the chance to play with (Chris) Wellde, (Matt) Philie, Morgan (Hill), even Audra (McShane) last year, players that, at the time, were better than me, really helped. You watch what they do, how they handle themselves, and it makes you better."

Bindel hopes to attend Campbell (N.C.) University next fall and get into the professional golf management track.

Growing up, Bindel's game was soccer. After playing from the age of 5 to the summer before his freshman year, he made the tough decision to focus on golf right before school started.

"I had to pick one or the other and I thought I had more potential with golf," he said. "Then making the team was a big confidence boost. Looking back, who knows what would have happened had (coach) Graves cut me."

Bindel used his first year to work on his game and then as a sophomore played in every match and averaged 15.5 points. He was still raw, though, evidenced by four rounds of 14 points or less and never once reaching 20.

A year later, he was significantly improved, averaging a team-best 20.1 points a match, yet he still only shot better than 21 twice (a pair of 23s).

So it really wasn't until the first round this fall, a 26-point effort at Fairway Hills, that he proved he could be the true No. 1 that River Hill needed to contend for a team title.

"We knew Patrick was capable of a big number, but until you actually go out and do it in a match, it's one of those things that hangs over you. He got that out of the way early," Graves said. "And really, Patrick has given us that top guy, similar to what we had with Justin (Fabling) last time we went undefeated. You can send them out and count on them to hang with the other team's No. 1, which is huge in the big matches."

Depth has been another key during during the Hawks' perfect 9-0 start this season. The other members of the top four, Ryan Park (19.8 points a match), Will Swygert (20.6) and Mike Miller (19) have all improved their scoring numbers from last season. And they've picked up their captain on several occasions as well, including all three scoring 20 or better against Centennial when Bindel had one of his worst rounds of the season (21).

Graves says this year's squad may be better than that squad four years ago, citing better consistency and a scoring average nearly five points higher.

River Hill will need that improved scoring when it faces Glenelg (7-1) Monday, Sept. 29 at the Timbers at Troy in the last match of the year, one that should determine the regular-season champion. The Gladiators have already scored 90 points or better three times and reached 99 against Centennial Sept. 16.

That match is only the beginning, though. Two days later, River Hill will try to do what no Hawks team has -- win the county tournament -- and then two days after that is the district competition.

"Going undefeated is what we're looking at right now, but I remember what it was like when that team (in 2005) finished second at counties. It was really tough to take," Bindel said. "The county tournament is almost like validation for what you do during the year -- the fact that it's 18 holes and everyone's there. Then there's districts and hopefully states for us.

"We haven't finished anything yet, but knowing that we are right there with the potential ... it's exciting. I've been, actually we've all been, waiting three years to be back in this position."

It's the same ride four years later, only this time Bindel's in the driver's seat.

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