ROCKINGHAM — Two Richmond Senior High School senior football players will get to play one more high school game before they begin their respective college careers.
Dereck Barringer and Jaheim Covington were two of the 35 players named to the East team for the annual North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game.
The NCCA released the full roster on Sunday, and a single school can have a maximum of two players selected.
Barringer, a safety who is signed to play at Barton College, and Covington, a running back ready to report to South Carolina State University, join Raider wide receivers coach Greg Williams on the sideline for the mid-summer game.
In August, Williams was named as one of the five assistant coaches who will help the East team’s head coach Paul Cornwell (Ayden-Grifton High School). Williams has 30 years of high school coaching experience.
“Looking forward to working with Dereck and Jaheim again,” Williams Tweeted following the announcement. “Thankful again for this great honor.”
Started in 1949 by Bob Jamieson, who was the coach of the Grimsley High School football team in Greensboro, the East-West All-Star game was founded to help fund the NCCA’s football clinic.
Since then, it’s blossomed into an annual event that features some of the top athletes from across the state who are freshly graduated from high school.
This year’s edition will be held on July 22 at Robert B. Jamieson Stadium at Grimsley. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. with fireworks featured at halftime.
During his senior season with the Raiders, Barringer was second on the team with 92 total tackles (56 solo, 36 assists) and averaged 6.6 tackles per game. He also recorded four tackles for loss and had one quarterback sack.
As part of a Richmond secondary that had four two-year starters, Barringer led the defensive backs with 16 passes defended in 2019 and picked off two passes, second most on the team.
“It’s a blessing to be selected to such a big game,” Barringer said. “Being chosen after all the hard work I put in this season means everything to me.
“I plan to represent my Raiders by showing how relentless and physical we are in the County,” he added. “And I want to continue to make my link strong by meeting other players with the same love and passion for the game.”
Covington had an equally impressive senior season, serving as the top tailback for the Raiders. He collected 1,293 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, averaging 92.4 yards per game.
He went over the 100-yard mark in six games and set the program’s record for the longest rushing touchdown (99 yards) in a playoff win against Hough High School.
A power back known for his toughness and speed, Covington also helped in the passing game. He hauled in nine catches for 129 yards and added two receiving touchdowns. Against Jack Britt High School on Oct. 11, he scored four rushing touchdowns, tying his career high.
“I want to thank the coaches who chose me to attend the game,” Covington said. “It should be a good experience playing with other players that I haven’t played with before. Hopefully they can teach me some things that I didn’t know before and help make me better at my position.
“It’s awesome to have one of my teammates playing with me because it shows and tells how we’ve been doing on the field,” he added of Barringer.
Most recently, Chase Coulthard, an offensive lineman, represented Richmond in the 2018 East-West game.
Other Sandhills Athletic Conference players to field the 2020 East team include Anthony Fiffie (Jack Britt), Ja’lin Harris-McLean (Scotland) and Bruce Wall (Scotland).
Cardinal Gibbons High School’s Mark Charnot and Myles Harp will also be teammates, two players Barringer and Covington played against this past fall.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Richmond head coach Bryan Till said of the selections. “We had several guys considered, and these two got selected for their merits on the field. They’re definitely worth the honor and will represent us really well.”
