ROCKINGHAM — The final countdown is on for the first edition of Friday Night Lights this fall for the Richmond Senior High School football team.
No more scrimmages. No more morning practices. Just preparation, formidable opponents and the desire to win.
When the first whistle of the season is blown Friday, the Raiders and first-year head coach Brad Denson will face arguably their toughest regular-season opponent.
Richmond will make the business trip to Seventy-First High School to start its four-game non-conference schedule against the reigning 3A state runner-up Falcons.
Perhaps jumping in the deep end to get things started is the way to go for the Raiders, who will face three more playoff teams in the weeks to follow, including Cardinal Gibbons High School (a 4A final four team).
The new era of Richmond football has a challenging start, but as Denson alluded to earlier this preseason, the Raiders are looking to make progress and tackle one team at a time on a week-to-week basis.
Entering the first game prep week of the season, the Raiders put on a productive display in their final scrimmage against West Florence last Friday.
“We had some guys really make some strides Friday, but at the same time we have to have them continue to grow and develop,” Denson shared. “It’s good to finally get into game prep. The play book gets dialed in and condensed. We don’t have everything on the table and that allows the guys to really hone in on certain concepts.
“We get more reps at those things and the confidence level starts to grow with them,” he continued. Week one always has a good energy level, however, it’s about being consistent with the focus and energy all week. Not too high and not too low. We have to maintain both all week.”
Hoping to keep that energy and focus in line, the Raiders will go with a balanced approach at quarterback to start the season.
Battling for the QB1 spot all spring and summer, junior signal callers Evan Hodges and Domonic Tillman will both likely see action Friday. Denson hasn’t put one over the other on the depth chart and said the offense will be directed by the one who gets it in rhythm.
“No QB has been determined the starter or backup,” Denson explained. “They both bring things to the table that the other can’t. What I’m the happiest about is they both want to be the guy, but they both cheer and push each other every single day. They are great student-athletes and great people.
“I envision both of them playing and if I feel one has the hot hand, we will ride with him more,” he continued. “I trust both of them and with the coaching they have received, they are both prepared to lead the team. Competition is never a bad thing. It’s kind of the same thing in the backfield — three of them will play and if one is feeling it and seeing it better, they will go more.”
Those three running backs Denson mentioned are seniors Jordan Bostick and Javion Smith, along with sophomore Chance Crowder. All three will try to fill the spot left open by former All-Conference tailback Jaliel Green.
Knowing what they face in the opening week, Denson and the Raiders are putting in the necessary work to try and slow down a run-heavy Falcons offense. Richmond also expects the game to be physical.
“Seventy-First is a great team with great athletes running around and great coaching,” Denson said. “That makes for a real test for us. We are prepared for a very physical opening game and playing there is never an easy task.
“When we’re preparing for their schemes, we try to make sure we are aware of their better guys and where they are aligned. We will be prepared and do all we can as a staff to allow our guys to play physical and fast and have some fun.”
Richmond’s defense during the early going has been its motor to get momentum on its side. During their scrimmage against West Florence, the Raiders intercepted three passes in just two quarters of football.
Defensive coordinator Chris Campolieta and Richmond’s defense will have to contend with a loaded offense that returns its quarterback and two running backs from its run at a state title last season.
The run-first style offense has been Seventy-First’s identity for a long time, something Denson and the Raiders are prepared for.
“On offense, they do what they do —they are coming downhill with a very good run game,” Denson explained. “They have extremely talented guys who carry the ball and they rotate them around and keep them coming at you.
“They also have a very good QB who can spin it and run it and that always presents problems for a defense. Again, I expect a very physical game that will just demand a certain mentality on every single play.”
Senior quarterback DeAndre Nance is a dual-threat player who led the Falcons in passing scoring (1,639 yards, 20 TDs) and rushing scoring (1,691 yards, 38 TDs) as a junior.
Senior running back Donavan Frederick (1,634 yards, 10 TDs) and junior tailback Jayson Franklin (1,460 yards, 15 TDs) also return for the three-pronged offensive machine that helped the Falcons average 347.9 rushing yards per game and 42.4 points per game last fall.
“Their QB is their go-to guy. When it’s crunch time, find him,” Denson said of Nance. “No. 9 (Frederick) and No. 3 (Franklin) at running back are loads and run the ball really hard. Those three are what makes their offense go.
“We are preparing for a downhill run game, but we have to be aware of their pass game as well. We can’t fall asleep there because of the run game they have.”
On the other side of the ball, the Falcons’ defense will feature Frederick and Franklin as its inside linebackers. Frederick had a team-high 175 tackles last season, including 48 tackles-for-loss and six sacks.
Seventy-First made its way deep in the playoffs in 2023 because of its stingy defense limiting opposing teams to just 10.7 points per game.
“Defensively, they are a lot like their offense,” Denson noted. “They will do what they do and they will be good at it. They do have several guys who will be playing both ways so we have to keep it close and just wear on them all night.
“They should be in a Cover 3 type shell and trust their front seven or eight to make the plays. Again, (Frederick) and (Franklin) are their two inside linebackers and are really good in there. On the edges at outside linebacker they have some big bodies that we have to be aware of as well.
“We feel good about our game plan, now we just have to go out and execute it,” Denson closed.
The Raiders and Falcons will kick off Friday in Fayetteville at 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: To purchase online tickets ahead of the game, click here.
