FOXFIRE — The Richmond Raider golf team improved its overall finish during Monday’s second match of the year.
Playing on their home course at Foxfire, the Raiders posted a team score of 205, one stroke better than last week’s season opener.
Using their top four scorers from the nine-hole match, the Raiders also jumped from a sixth place finish into a tie for fourth place in the Sandhills Athletic Conference contest.
Richmond tied with rival Scotland, and the two teams finished 15 strokes better than Hoke County High School (220).
The Raiders were just behind third-place Lee County High School (187). Pinecrest High School won the match with a 143, while Union Pines took second (178).
Leading the Raiders on the scoresheet was senior Ethan Brown, who posted a nine-hole score of 45. That score was seven strokes fewer than he shot during last week’s round at Scotch Meadows.
“Great to see Ethan have a better day,” head coach Keith Parsons said. “No one has put in more practice getting ready for the season, I know he relished the opportunity to show he was better than his score the first week. I expect him to go even lower as we get into our season.”
Junior Ayden Mabe shot a 50, followed by seniors Chandler Orr (51) and Caleb Talton (59) to round out the top four. Monday’s match was the first appearance for Talton.
Also competing for the Raiders were junior Lane Richardson and senior David O’Neal. Richardson knocked four strokes off his score from last week with a 62, and O’Neal matched his score of 65 for the second outing in a row.
“We also welcomed Caleb for his first match of the season; again, he will get better the more comfortable he becomes,” Parsons noted. “Always great to see our team score improve from week to week, and we have room for more growth the rest of the season.”
Pinecrest’s Carson Bertagnole was the round’s leader for the second consecutive week, posting a score of 33 (-3).
The Raiders will look to take another step forward in next week’s match, a nine-hole contest at Sanford Golf Course.
It will be the last half round before the SAC teams will play a series of 18-hole rounds. Tee times will begin at 3 p.m.
