The joy of winning never gets old for River Bluff coach Phil Savitz

Thad Miller doesn’t see many differences in River Bluff boys soccer coach Phil Savitz in the three-plus decades he has known him.

Miller was an all-American at Irmo and played on Savitz’s first team to reach a state championship game in 1981. Thirty-five years later, the two are reunited again as Savitz asked Miller, a former head coach at Chapin and assistant at Irmo, to join his staff at River Bluff this season.

The Gators go for their first state championship Saturday when they take on Clover in the 4A title game at Irmo High School.

“I have a picture when I played with him with mustache and curly hair, so other than physical changes he is still the same,” Miller said. “That is the beauty of it. He believes in what he does, how you treat the players and putting in the structure to be successful.”

That same structure remains in place for Savitz, a former South Carolina player and assistant, from when he took over mid-year at Irmo in 1980 until his third year at River Bluff. He is the all-time wins leader in the state and can notch his 700^th victory Saturday in the championship game.

Savitz can accomplish that milestone at Irmo High, the place where he enjoyed many of those 699 victories. The fieldhouse at Irmo is named after Savitz, who has won 14 championships, with the most recent coming in 2013 during his final year with the Yellow Jackets.

“It is an interesting script. I get a lot of questions from the fans about the 700^th win, going back to Irmo to win a state championship,” Savitz said. “I am happy that the fans are thinking about it, but the only thing this team is concerned about is being the best team they can on Saturday. And the only thing on my mind is what can I do to help this team be successful on Saturday.”

This is Savitz’s 24^th appearance in the championship game, but you wouldn’t have known that at practice this week. He is approaching this chance for a title as though it was his first, and delivered that message to his team during a prepractice meeting.

Savitz outlined different things to expect before and after they get to the stadium and reminded his players to stay hydrated during the week leading up to the championship.

“Every time I have been fortunate to get a team back to the state championship, the adrenaline flows like it did for the first one. They all mean something different,” Savitz said. “It is just a special feeling with each group that you get there. To see emotions, the families, the school and community, it is a special time for everyone.”

Savitz initially balked at the idea of coming to River Bluff, which opened in 2013. He told River Bluff principal Luke Clamp, a former teacher and coach at Irmo, for more than a year that he was likely going to finish his career at Irmo.

Savitz didn’t entertain many offers to go elsewhere throughout the years. He said he was offered the head coaching job at Wofford years back but thought it wasn’t the right time for he and his family.

The opportunity at River Bluff was different. It meant he didn’t have to move and could continue coaching in high school, which is something he always loved.

Under Savitz, the Gators have become one of the Midlands’ best teams and are 65-8 in three years. River Bluff hasn’t lost a region match and made it to the lower state championship all three years before advancing to the title game this year.

“I know the ecstasy of winning and agony of losing a championship,” Savitz said. “There is nothing more that I want for these players, this school and parents than to feel the ecstasy of winning a championship and bringing it back to River Bluff. I could not be more excited about it.”

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 8:27 PM.