POULSBO — Last year, the relatively unknown North Kitsap girls’ golf team blew by nearly all of its opponents and took its first ever Narrows’ Bridge title away from perennial recipients Gig Harbor.

This year, however, North Kitsap’s prowess on the fairways is no secret. And it has become the targets of the Tides, along with other competitive Narrows teams.

But the Vikings — who return the core of their mighty underdog squad from a year ago — have expectations to again be atop the Narrows.

“It’s always a goal,” said Alicia Bratlien, one of three returners whose average hovers around the 25 to 30 point range. “But it’s gonna be a challenge.”

Bratlien took home a 29th place finish at state a year ago and players Ella Sanman and Miquela Pendleton weren’t far behind, as North Kitsap placed ninth at state.

All three have goals to get back to state. But first, the Vikings will battle once more for Narrows supremacy. Can they repeat?

“I really hope so,” said Pendleton. “I think if we can get our four sophomores up and our top three stay in the 30s (point range), we’ve got a shot. And that would be awesome.”

The team will be without last year’s varsity players Rachel Parcells and Hilary Houle. But they’ve gained Icelandic exchange student Val Palsdottir along with four other sophomores, including Britney Fluharty-Quinn, Claire Lawrence, Paige Woodside and Leah Seim-Brown, at least two of whom will play varsity each match.

“I think we’ve got a good shot at it,” Sanman said of the team’s chances at a Narrows Bridge title. “Gig Harbor looks tough, but we’re coming along. Everybody’s been improving with each match, and that’s a good sign.”

New coach Jay DeVries said he’s been blessed to inherit the type of talent he’s got on the team — and is enjoying every minute of it.

“It’s just been fun going into matches knowing you’re never out of it,” DeVries said. “The three girls are each capable of 30 points a match, and if the four, five and six players start getting in the high teens, we can have a great match with anyone.”

DeVries took over for three year coach Brian Bignold who had seen the program go from one that scored around 40 points a match to one that cleared 100 routinely.

The first-year coach, who also coaches the NK tennis team and is a teacher at Kingston Junior High, said he helps the athletes with mechanics but acknowledges that golf is a complex and mysterious game, quoting John Denver to describe it: “Some days are diamonds, some days are stone.”

“I love golf,” DeVries added. “And this is a great group of kids to work with.”