ROCKINGHAM — Not often do two performances clash for the best of the week, but that’s the case in this edition of The Richmond Observer’s feature series.
AJ Covington and K’Mauri Morgan, a pair of defensive players for the Richmond Senior High School football team, have been named the Official Richmond County Male Student-Athletes of the Week presented by Rockingham NC Self Storage.
The Raiders were all business last Thursday in a rout of Pinecrest High School, nearly holding on for the team’s first shutout of the season. Covington and Morgan played big roles in keeping Richmond undefeated in conference play.
In what head coach Brad Denson called “the best games of their careers,” Covington earned his first recognition, while Morgan grabbed his second.
| Athletic Profile: K’Mauri Morgan Year: Senior Fall sport: Football Position: Linebacker Varsity experience: 3 Seasons Other sports: Wrestling | Athletic Profile: AJ Covington Year: Senior Fall sport: Football Position: Defensive Back Varsity experience: 2 Seasons |
“CLASSROOM CREDITS” WITH AJ COVINGTON AND K’MAURI MORGAN
With the first nine weeks of the school year past the halfway point, Covington and Morgan are both balancing a full workload with football.
Covington is enrolled in Economics and Personal Finance, Introduction to Graphic Communications, Spanish I and Weight Training Honors.
Later this school year, he’ll take English IV, Firefighter Technology II, Math 4 and Spanish II. His weighted grade point average is 2.75.
Morgan is an honors student so taking four classes at Richmond this semester. He’s currently taking Economics and Personal Finance Honors, English IV Honors, Marketing I and Weight Training Honors.
In the spring, Morgan will add Math 4 Honors, Media Journalism II Honors, School-to-Work and another section of Weight Training Honors. Morgan has a 3.50 weighted GPA.
“HOLDING DOWN THE DEFENSE” WITH AJ COVINGTON AND K’MAURI MORGAN
The Raiders put on a defensive clinic on the road at Pinecrest last Thursday, as Covington and Morgan led the way in Richmond’s 36-7 thumping of its 4A rival.
Richmond set the tone early as the defense kept the Patriots out of the end zone the entire first half and took a 15-0 lead into the break.
In desperation mode, the Patriots managed to score a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. But the Raiders’ defense had already done enough to secure the win.
Morgan, an interior linebacker, finished the game with 17 total tackles. That mark was one tackle shy of his season high against Seventy-First High School.
Recording 13 solo tackles, Morgan also had four assists and two quarterback hurries on Cody Hansen.
Prowling the secondary all game long, Covington finished the game with eight total tackles. He had four solo tackles and four assists.
Covington’s biggest moment came with 9:00 to go in the fourth quarter. On Pinecrest’s next play after a Chance Crowder rushing touchdown for Richmond, Covington picked off a Hansen pass attempt and returned it to the end zone for the Raiders’ final touchdown of the game.
Through six games this season, Covington has 38 total tackles for 6.3 tackles per game. His interception at Pinecrest has been his only takeaway.
Morgan’s 72 total tackles rank him third in the state in 4A play, as he’s averaging 12.0 tackles per game. He has 8.0 TFL, seven QB rushes (team leader) and one QB sack.
Richmond (4-2, 2-0 SAC) returns home Friday to host Hoke County High School (1-5, 0-2 SAC). Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
“RAPID RESPONSE” VIDEO WITH AJ COVINGTON AND K’MAURI MORGAN
The Richmond Observer will publish two more Official Richmond County Student-Athletes of the Week next week.
