ROCKINGHAM — “Be tough” was the moniker for the Richmond Raider football program this season.
The final down of the 2024-25 Richmond Raider football season was played out Thursday in the school’s cafeteria with that mentality still in mind.
One last meeting between the coaches and players was joined by family and community members at the Raiders’ annual end-of-season banquet.
A night dedicated to recognizing the academic and athletic achievements of the team, the ceremony was orchestrated by head coach Brad Denson, who also closed up his first season at the helm of the program.
Joining in the celebration were members of the Richmond County Board of Education, as well as personnel from the district’s central office staff, including superintendent Dr. Joe Ferrell.
Addressing the audience at the start was first-year athletic director James Johnson, who later offered a special recognition to the school’s administrative team, support staff, office support staff, press box and chain crews, and custodians, among others.
Denson followed with a short thank-you message for the coaching staff, the coches’ families and the Mom’s Club, the latter of which put in a lot of behind-the-scenes efforts this season.
Kicking off the player-centered portion of the evening, the varsity and junior varsity teams were called up by associate head coach Greg Williams and JV head coach Patrick Hope. In 2024, the varsity Raiders went 10-3 overall, which included an eight-game winning streak and finished five wins better than each of the past two seasons. Richmond went 6-0 in conference play and won its first outright Sandhills Athletic Conference championship for the first time since 2021, which led to the return to the third round of NCHSAA 4A state playoffs for the first time since 2019. Williams rattled off a few notable figures about the season, most significantly the fact that Richmond played three teams that either played for a state championship or made it to the regional championship round in 2024. Another key detail was that eight of Richmond’s 10 regular-season opponents made the postseason. The JV Raiders also had a turnaround season with Hope returning to lead the team. The JV Raiders finished 8-2 overall with a 5-1 mark against SAC teams, placing them second in the final standings. The awards portion of the event started by recognizing the player in each class who had the highest grade point average. Each player received a plaque. Representing the senior class was Billy West (4.677), followed by junior Robert Monroe (4.523), sophomores Konner Gardner and Collin Hill (both with a 4.417) and freshmen Damian Bastida, Nolan Dawkins, Jake Gardner and Ikema Smith (all with a 4.500). Also recognized were the three or four other members of each class who rounded out the top five. The class of 2025 included Joe Parsons (4.641), Joel Butler (4.603), Lincoln Smith (4.346) and Jordan Odom (4.330). The class of 2026 was represented by Keonta Pegues (4.425), Evan Hodges (4.350), Jason Gainey (4.350) and Jake Veach (4.325). Sophomores included Shamir Jones (4.375), Hayden Smith (4.292) and Tristan Chavis (4.250). Richmond’s freshman class was concluded by Logan Carter (4.375) and Samuel Dockery, Donovan Jones, Tristan Tario and Siris Vaughn, all of whom had a 4.250. Richmond’s overall team GPA, which included all the team members who were on the playoff roster, was 3.452. Perhaps the most prestigious award given Thursday was the William E. Eustler Award, given to two players, named for the legendary local baseball and football coach at Rockingham High School. Eustler later became the first athletic director at Richmond in 1972. Presented by Johsnon, he said the award is given to “a member of the varsity football team who, in the opinion of the coaching staff, has demonstrated by personal example and force of character his commitment to excellence on the field and integrity in his life. “I wasn’t privy to the choice, but it must have been a good little discussion and a nice battle because we’ve got two (winners) this year,” Johnson continued. “I think that speaks to the character of these young men.” Seniors Nicholas Griggs (wide receiver) and Lincoln Smith (center) were this year’s recipients. One of Denson’s objectives with the awards banquet was to broaden the scope of players recognized across the board. Following the Eustler Award, a host of accolades were handed out. That included senior Joseph Patterson as the Special Teams Player of the Year; senior running back Jordan Bostick as the Offensive Skill Position Player of the Year; senior linebacker K’Mauri Morgan as the Defensive Skill Position Player of the Year; and junior guard Tyler McKenzie and senior tackle Tate Simpson as the Offensive and Defensive Combo/Lineman Players of the Year, respectively. It was no surprise when the Overall Offensive and Overall Defensive Players of the year were announced. Junior wide receiver Jayden Hamilton capped his breakout season with the recognition and Spencer rightfully earned the defensive honor. Another new addition this season were the Offensive and Defensive Newcomer Awards. Following their first full year of contribution at the varsity level, sophomore running back Chance Crowder and defensive lineman Jordan Hamilton were recognized. Not letting valuable members of the team go unnoticed for their efforts Mondays through Thursdays, senior Jabari Douglas (wide receiver) and Odom (defensive lineman) were called up as the Offensive and Defensive Practice Players of the Year. Nearing the end of the on-field awards were the Offensive and Defensive Coaches Awards. Synonymous with the quarterback position the past two seasons, junior Domonic Tillman and Hodges shared the Offensive Award, splitting it just like their reps on Friday nights. Zy Martin, a senior linebacker, was recognized as the coaching staff’s choice for the defense. When Denson took over the program a year ago this month, he instituted the moniker “be tough,” an acronym for “belief, energetic, tenacious, opportunistic, unbreakable, gritty and humble.” Presented by Denson and assistant coach Spencer Shaw, Pegues (wide receiver) and senior Keidreion Crump (defensive back) were the recipients of the inaugural Be Tough Award. “These aren’t just physically tough guys, but mentally tough guys who can take on life,” Denson said of Pegues and Crump. “They both embody what ‘be tough’ is all about. “(Pegues) played way bigger than his size and is one of the best blockers on the perimeter I’ve been around. He understands how to use his body and can catch and run the ball pretty well. He’s a great leader and the perfect person for ‘be tough’ because it’s not always about being the biggest guy. “(Crump) never missed a practice and had several nagging injuries that lasted all year,” he added. “He never missed a lifting session and got us lined up in the secondary. He practiced hard each week and his play on Friday nights was a direct result of that.” The final individual awards given during the banquet went to the four season captains, all of whom were voted on by the team prior to the start of the campaign — Parsons, Hamilton, Pegues and senior defensive back AJ Covington. Parsons, a four-year varsity starter and member of the East-West All-Star Game, was then named the Captain’s Captain. “(Parsons) represents what it means to play football at a very, very high level,” Denson said before announcing Parsons. “He’s the true definition of a student. He’s an alpha on the field, in the locker room and in the classroom. “When he spoke, you listened. When he said get lined up here, you did. When he showed the way how to get things done in the classroom, people followed. I’ve never had a player that when you talk to him, it’s like you’re talking to a 40-year-old. “That shows how mature he is and says a lot about his parents and his upbringing. Never in trouble, never late, always prepared, never missed a day — he’s just an overall great person.” For fun, Denson went “off script” and added four additional awards. They were the “Called the Most for Being Late,” the “My Bad, Coach,” the “Too Frustrated” and the “Crash Out” awards. Earning them, respectively, accompanied by laughs, were senior Zach Gardner, junior Daylyn Goodwin, junior Andre Anthony and Simpson, seniors Jarah Cook and Chris Covington and junior Amer Morrison. Wrapping up the ceremony were senior player plaques, the recognition of the SAC championship team members and a season recap video. The Richmond Observer will publish a full gallery of Thursday’s end-of-season banquet soon.
