ROCKINGHAM – The second full week of Richmond Senior High School fall athletics starts Monday, and with it, the season debuts of the Raider soccer and junior varsity football programs.
With the two teams adding games this week, ROSports breaks down each team’s matchups.
Lady Raider volleyball looking to build on 2-0 start
Last week, the Lady Raider volleyball team kicked things off with a thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Uwharrie Charter Academy on Tuesday. Trailing after the first two sets, Ashleigh Larsen’s team battled back to send the Lady Eagles home with their first loss of the season. It was also Larsen’s first career victory.
The next day, Richmond blew past Anson High School in straight sets.
This week, Larsen and company have three matches comprising of two non-conference opponents (Union Pines High School and Uwharrie Charter), before opening Sandhills Athletic Conference play against Purnell Swett High School.
Richmond hosts Union Pines (2-0, 3A Tri-County Conference) Monday in an early-season battle of the unbeatens. Last year, the Lady Vikings took Richmond to five sets before falling 3-2. It was the only regular season match the Lady Raiders allowed to go to five sets, bringing high stakes to Monday’s match against Toni Douglas’ team. Varsity begins at 6 p.m.
The Lady Raiders are back in action Wednesday (at Uwharrie Charter, 5 p.m.) and Thursday (at Purnell Swett, 5 p.m.). Richmond will look to sweep Uwharrie Charter in the two-game season series, and will look to continue its eight-match winning streak against the Lady Rams from Pembroke, dating back to the 2014 season. In that span, the Lady Raiders have won five of the matches in straight sets.
Lady Raider tennis hoping to overcome slow start
The Richmond girls tennis team took to the court twice last week, falling to non-conference opponents Pine Forest (7-2) and East Montgomery (8-0) high schools. Head coach Mike Way noted that both of the programs his team faced had a lot of experience, but he hopes his players will find their rhythm as they enter SAC play.
On the road twice, the Lady Raiders will head to Purnell Swett for the Lady Rams’ season opener Tuesday. In conference play last season, Richmond downed Purnell Swett 8-1 in both contests. On Thursday, Way’s team will face off against reigning SAC champion Pinecrest High School. The Lady Patriots are currently 0-1, but will face Seventy-First and New Hanover high schools ahead of Richmond.
Both matches are scheduled for a 4 p.m. start time.
Chris Larsen to make soccer coaching debut at CATA
Just like his wife Ashleigh, Chris Larsen is in his first year as a varsity head coach at Richmond. After spending six years coaching the Richmond junior varsity soccer teams, he’s looking to earn his first career win at the varsity level Monday on the road at the Central Academy of Technology and Arts in Monroe, N.C.
The Raiders are looking to rebound from an 11-9-1 season from a year ago, and Larsen hopes that his team’s journey back to the NCHSAA playoffs will start with a victory against the Cougars (2A Rocky River Conference). It will be CATA’s third match of the early season, as coach Jay Niessner’s team is 1-1. Last season, Richmond defeated the Cougars 3-1 at home. Varsity is set to start at 6:30 p.m.
To wrap up the week, the Raiders will return home for two more non-conference matches. They’ll host Porter Ridge High School (1-1) Wednesday at 6 p.m., followed by Forest Hills High School (0-3) Thursday at the same time. According to Maxpreps, the Raiders haven’t faced Porter Ridge in the last eighth seasons, and fell to the Yellow Jackets 4-3 last season at home.
JV football looking to defend SAC title and perfect season with season opener
A season ago, first-year junior varsity football coach Patrick Hope led the Raiders to a perfect 10-0 season and an SAC championship. He’s looking to do the same this fall, but a tough opponent stands in front of Richmond to open the season.
Just like the 2017 season, the Raiders will begin with Wake Forest High School. In dramatic fashion in Week 1 last year at home, Hope’s team used a late-game touchdown and extra point to hand the Cougars their first loss since Oct. 3, 2015, against Millbrook High School.
Losing several key players from a season ago to this year’s varsity team, including running backs Lacyrus Ellerbe and CJ Tillman, as well as quarterback Noah Altman and receiver Jakolbe Baldwin, Hope will put freshman quarterback Kellan Hood under center. Hood’s older brother Caleb is the varsity team’s starting quarterback, currently in his second season as only a sophomore.
Kickoff against the Cougars is set for 6:30 p.m. at Raider stadium. Richmond will follow up in Week 2 on the road at Pine Forest High School, a team it defeated 34-6 a season ago.
Raider football gearing up for top-ranked Wake Forest
The Richmond varsity football team started its 2018 campaign with a convincing 54-18 win over Ronald Reagan High School Friday. The Raiders racked up 386 yards of total offense and saw Hood throw two touchdowns and run for another. Junior tailback Jaheim Covington had a game-high three rushing scores, as Ellerbe added two of his own.
Richmond may have blown past the Reagan Raiders with ease, but Wake Forest poses a much bigger obstacle, as the Cougars are Carolina Prep’s No. 1-ranked 4AA team in the state following Week 1. On top of that, Wake Forest hasn’t lost a game since the second round of the 2015 playoffs, and is the two-time reigning 4AA state champions.
Last year, the Cougars left Richmond County 38-13 victors, also in Week 2. Head coach Bryan Till explained following Friday’s win that his team will look at film this week to prepare for Wake Forest. ROSports will publish a comprehensive game preview midweek, so stay tuned. Kickoff is set for Friday at Wake Forest at 7 p.m.
Note: Richmond’s cross country and girls golf teams will begin their respective seasons when school is back in session. Cross country begins at Purnell Swett on Sept. 5 at 5 p.m., and Lady Raiders golf begins the same day at Bayonet at Puppy Creek Course at 2 p.m.
