Eight years ago, Tony Alcon was asked to lead the revived Athens Drive girls golf program. It didn't take long for the Jaguars to start impacting state competitions under his watch.

"After that first year, we've been able to send at least one or two girls to the state championships every year," Alcon said. "I'd like to take credit for that, but of course I can't. It's God-given ability from the girls and their work in the offseason."

This past fall, Athens made the ultimate impact, claiming the state championship with consistent scores from four underclassmen.

With one state title in hand, Alcon welcomes back seniors Katherine Perry, Sydney Schackelford, Grace Stallings and sophomore Mande Monchik for another title run.

"I know we've got the bulls-eye on our back, that's for sure," Alcon said. "Now with those three seniors, I may want to graduate when they do - they'll be hard to replace - but I still think we've got a solid program that'll be around for awhile."

Perry, who has committed to play at UNC-Chapel Hill, is one of the best players in the country. She won the North Carolina Amateur title and two U.S. Open qualifying events before competing in the U.S. Open this summer. She finished eighth overall in last year's state championships.

With experience playing on such a large stage, Perry is confident the experience will pay off this year.

"It's going to help a lot," Perry said. "I think it helps with nerves, having all those people around. It just makes me want to get better and better to play at that level one day."

Although Perry is sound in all facets of the game, her best attribute may be her mental approach. "She can shake it off and can move onto the next shot," Alcon said. "And that's the mark of a real pro, because you're not going to hit every shot perfectly."

Last year, Middle Creek's Courtney Rousse was the conference player of the year, edging Perry by a less than a half-stroke.

Rousse is now at University of Richmond, paving the way for Perry to lay claim to that title in what's already been a decorated career.

"She's got a lot of golf ahead of her," Alcon said.

If a challenger to Athens' title emerges from within the conference, it might be Green Hope.

The Falcons return four key players from last year's 14th-place finish in the state championships.

Apex's Michelle Pilo, a senior, should also be one to watch for after finishing 27th in the state championships last year.