LUMBERTON — The Richmond Senior High School junior varsity football team relied heavily on its backfield during Thursday’s Sandhills Athletic Conference game at Lumberton High School.
The Raiders used four different running backs and their quarterback against the Pirates to roll the home team 40-0. Richmond collected 193 rushing yards, and for the first time all season, every tailback who entered the game scored at least one touchdown.
During its last three games, Lumberton has been outscored 139-0 against Seventy-First, Pinecrest and Richmond.
All six of Richmond’s scores came on the ground, with freshman running back Brandon Askins leading the way with two scores and a game-high 79 yards on four carries. Each scoring once were freshmen Taye Spencer and Xavier Wall, and sophomore Nasir Crumpton.
Freshman quarterback Emoni McBride complimented the aggressive rushing attack with a solid night through the air, connecting for 7-of-12 passing for 129 yards to four different receivers. He was responsible for the other rushing touchdown.
“There was a lot of balance and we used multiple guys to run the ball effectively,” head coach Patrick Hope said. “It was cool that everyone who played in the back scored a touchdown. Brandon got us started with a big first play, and Xavier, Taye and Nasir worked hard and were rewarded by getting in the end zone.”
Askins took the opening handoff from McBride 69 yards to the house, and following a Cason Douglas point after attempt, the Raiders led 7-0 just over two minutes into the game. Askins’ run set the tempo of the Raider offense early, as it would score on six of its eight possessions.
Of the strong night out of the backfield, Hope credited offensive line coach Kevin Alfonso “for mixing things up with several different lineups” to ensure success in the ground game.
Following a fumble on their second drive, the Raiders closed the first quarter with a one-yard push from Askins. The touchdown capped a five-play, 26-yard drive and Douglas split the uprights again to make it a two possession game.
Prior to the halftime whistle, the Raiders’ offense would capitalize twice more on its two second-quarter drives. The first was an 11-yard rush by Crumpton, ending a 45-yard drive on four plays at the 6:07 mark. His score was followed by Spencer finding a hole in the line from two yards away on first down with 42 seconds remaining.
Richmond’s defense held the Pirates to -4 total yards of offense in the opening two quarters, and forced punts on four of the five drives (the final drive ended with the clock expiring for the half).
In the second half, the Raider defense forced a punt, a fumble and an interception to record its second shutout of the season.
Freshman offensive lineman Aaron Blake scooped up a fumble by Lumberton quarterback Dorian McRae at the Richmond 39-yard line, and freshman defensive back Emerson Wall stalled the Pirates’ longest drive of the night (15 plays, 60 yards) when he intercepted an errant pass attempt in the end zone to seal the deal with 90 seconds left in regulation.
“The defense played really well and was in the backfield a lot,” Hope commented. “Our front seven did a great job playing to the ball and forced a lot of three-and-outs to get off the field quickly.
“That gave our offense opportunities to score, and with good field position, which is always a plus,” he added. “The secondary didn’t get as much work as they normally do, but they were supportive with making tackles.”
Wall and McBride each scored a rushing touchdown in the third quarter for the final points of the game. Running it in from 16 yards out was Wall, and McBride collected his own fumble on the next drive to squeeze in from the seven-yard line.
“We have really opened up some things and found our balance the last two games,” Hope explained. “Emoni has worked really hard with the passing game this week, and he saw the field really well tonight.
“He’s now understanding the game a lot more and he was 4-for-4 on third downs, which was big for extending drives,” he continued. “Emoni has taken the student side of playing quarterback more seriously, and the more experience he gets is giving him an advantage.”
Wall’s 53 yards on seven rushes were second behind Askins, and Crumpton and Spencer added 30 yards and 25 yards, respectively. McBride’s favorite targets were sophomore wideouts Chris Ellerbe, Chandler Orr and Javares Stanback, all of whom reeled in two catches. Stanback had a game-high 49 yards receiving, with Ellerbe adding 37 yards and Orr contributing 17 yards.
With just two games left on their schedule, the JV Raiders (5-2, 4-1 SAC) are preparing for an away game next Thursday at Seventy-First High School.
“That is going to be a physical game, and last year, that game decided the conference championship,” Hope said. “We were able to match their intensity and score early and take them out of it in the first half.
“We know this is year is going to be four-quarter game,” he closed. “There is a lot to play for next week in terms of staying a step behind Pinecrest in the standings, and that’s a motivating factor. Our guys this week found out that three good days of practice can lead to a big win.”
Kickoff against the Falcons (7-1, 2-0 SAC) is set for 6:30 p.m. in Fayetteville.
