ROCKINGHAM — For the second time this fall, junior quarterback Caleb Hood’s performance cemented him as the Week 9 Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week presented by Moss Brothers Tire and Service.
In what is his third career recognition, Hood repeats as ROSports’ top male performer after having earned the award during Week 4 earlier this season. He was also named the Official Richmond County Athlete of the Week during his freshman season.
Richmond’s football team rolled into Hoke County High School on Friday and left the Bucks not much of a fighting chance, cruising to a 49-14 win. Hood had a big hand in the team’s eighth-straight win to start the season, tossing 253 yards through the air on 14-of-20 passing.
He added three passing touchdowns during the game, the most he’s thrown in a game since his record night at Cardinal Gibbons High School in September. He spread the wealth to three different receivers, connecting with senior Jaheim Covington and juniors Jakolbe Baldwin and Tremel Jones in the end zone.
Hood was responsible for five of Richmond’s seven total touchdowns against the Fighting Bucks, adding two rushing scores to stat sheet. Through eight games this season, Hood has double digits in passing scores (13) and is second on the team with rushing touchdowns (11).
“My receivers were running great routes and the offensive line opened some big holes for me,” Hood said of his balanced attack against Hoke County. “It all worked out pretty good. They set me up for success.
A team-oriented player who never forgets to credit his teammates around him, Hood added that the Raiders’ perfect record this season is all about “making a statement” and hopes to see Richmond keep it going “to let everyone know we’re for real.”
Hood’s first score was a seven-yard touchdown run in the first quarter on the Raiders’ first drive, and he followed that a drive later with a 73-yard pass and run touchdown to Covington. Richmond added three more scores in the second quarter, with Hood bookending the quarter’s scoring.
He began with a 45-yard passing score to Baldwin over the middle of the field on a post route, and later broke loose for a 48-yard rushing score. Hood’s final touchdown of the game came in the third quarter, a 22-yard toss to Jones.
With three regular-season games left on the schedule, Hood currently has 1,240 passing yards on 72 completions. He’s averaging 155 yards per game through the air and a passer rating of 129.3. On the ground, he trails only Covington, with 582 yards on 50 attempts (11.6 yards per carry).
In what has been a storybook season, Hood also became the program’s all-time passing yards leader and the first to eclipse the 5,000 yard mark. Against Cardinal Gibbons, his 26 completions to seven different receivers were also program bests.
To read more about Hood’s academics, future plans, and to watch his ROSports exclusive video interview following his first selection during Week 4, click here.
