From football to futbol: Lady Raiders seek to claim rivalry milestone from gridiron counterparts

ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High vs. Scotland High rivalry is embedded into the culture of those who have lived in either county at any point over the last 52 years – even longer when you throw in the high schools that preceded Richmond and Scotland.  Whether it is from actively participating in one of the many sporting events or simply watching what has been deemed North Carolina’s biggest high school rivalry by many media outlets from the stands, almost everyone living in the area has a Richmond/Scotland story.

While football is definitely on the forefront of most people’s minds when thinking back to the many classic Richmond/Scotland battles, every sport has had its time to shine in meetings between the Raiders and the Scots.  On Tuesday, it will be the Lady Raider soccer team’s chance to make perhaps the biggest mark on the storied rivalry as it looks to set the record for the longest winning streak in the series by any sport.

When it defeated Scotland 6-1 last May in Laurinburg, it was Richmond’s 18^th straight victory over Scotland in varsity girls soccer.  The 18 consecutive wins tied the Richmond football program’s 18-game winning streak over Scotland set between the 1995 and 2010 seasons as the longest winning streak in meetings between the schools.

One major difference between these two runs is that Richmond’s football program had already established a history of success prior to its 18-game rivalry run.  Even with Scotland winning 8 out of the last 12 meetings, Richmond’s football program still holds a 23-game lead in the all-time win-loss tally.  However, when the spring 2014 girls soccer season ended, Scotland led the overall series 26-10-6.  So, where Richmond’s football run just padded the lead, the soccer program needed to string together several wins just to make the series a little more respectable – and that’s exactly what the Lady Raiders have done.

Since 2015, the Lady Raiders have won 18-straight meetings, outscoring the Lady Scots 108-7 during the run.  The run did more than balance the overall series, it has now put Richmond ahead 28-26-6.  The streak has included 11 shutout victories, five mercy-rule wins, two conference tournament wins and a double-OT barnburner in Laurinburg.  The Lady Scots have not scored more than a single goal in any of those meetings.

Thirty-seven different players have scored at least one goal during the active streak for Richmond.  Five different Lady Raiders have recorded hat tricks during the run including Morgan Hooks, Jessi Graham, Hanna Millen, Cheyenne Jacobs and Cassie McFayden – who did it twice.  Hooks and McFayden are also tied for the most career goals in matches with Scotland at 11 each.

Other Lady Raiders scoring goals in matches with Scotland were Millen (8 goals), Graham (7), Jacobs (6), Altman Griffin (5), Hailey Bass (5), Sofie Vik (5), Jayla McDougald (4) Kaitlyn Huff (4), Allie Rodgers (3), Chloe Wiggins (3), Destiny Barrick (3), Jayana Nicholson (3), Sheccid Heaton (3), Ashly Gonzalez (2), C’Nedra Hinson (2), Destiny Buie (2), Shiana Chaparro (2) and Zelda McLaughlin (2).

Also adding one goal each to the rivalry matches since 2015 are Cameron Hudson, Carley Lambeth, Ellie Buck, Emily Parsons, Gabby Lutz, Helle Svendsen, Jamyia Lindsey, Jenna Carraway, Jenna Gardner, Kalei Sriratanakoul, Karter Walker, Kathleen Pittman, Kelly Hoffman, Majesti Robinson, Mariana Mendez Mendoza, Saniah Durham and Yulissa Mendez.

This year’s Lady Raiders are currently 5-3-2 on the season. They lost a close 2-0 battle with perennial conference leader Pinecrest, but beat Hoke County 1-0 on a free kick by Jentry Denson in overtime.  Now sandwiched between their 4A counterparts in the conference standings, every win becomes vital for the Lady Raiders in their quest to secure a post season berth, which makes Tuesday’s meeting with Scotland even more important.

Richmond’s record-setting attempt will take place on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Richmond Senior High School.

A little Richmond/Scotland girls soccer history:

• On April 12, 1995, Richmond and Scotland faced each other for the very first time.  The match was played at Richmond and ended in a 1-1 tie. Tami Andrusch scored the lone goal for Richmond and Lady Raider goalkeeper Summer Burgess had 10 saves. Scotland’s Barbara Dean netted Scotland’s goal on a penalty kick.
• On April 16, 1997, Richmond defeated conference-leader Scotland 4-1 at Raider Stadium.  Jessie Covington and Sarah Faircloth scored in the first half to put Richmond ahead 2-0 at the break.  Ashley Lantz gave the Lady Raiders a 3-0 lead midway through the second half and Jeri Johnson scored for the Lady Scots with just over 10 minutes remaining.  Tali Robich connected on a penalty kick with around two minutes remaining for the final score.  The win moved the Lady Raiders to the top of the conference standings where they would remain for the remainder of the season.
• In 1997, just the third year of the girls soccer program at Richmond, the Lady Raiders won both the conference title and the conference tournament title. It’s still the only time that the Richmond girls soccer team has accomplished that in program history.
• In March 2000, Scotland snapped a five-game losing streak to Richmond with a 5-4 overtime victory at Raider Stadium.  With help from a hat trick by Scotland’s Mindy Morgan, the Lady Scots held a 4-1 lead early in the second half, but Richmond rallied in the final moments.  Second-half goals from Brooke Whitley and Neely Sullivan brought the game to within one.  Morgan nearly scored again for the Lady Scots with around two minutes remaining in regulation, but the shot was tipped over the net by Richmond goalkeeper Dana Wheeler.  Moments later, Whitley scored again just as time expired to send the match into overtime.  Qurita Patterson scored the winning goal for Scotland in overtime.
• The Lady Raiders ended a six-game losing streak to Scotland in Laurinburg on May 8, 2002.  After losing to the Lady Scots 5-0 and 1-0 in the two regular season meetings, Richmond pulled off a 3-2 win over Scotland in the Midsoutheastern Conference Tournament semi-finals.  Scotland led 2-0 with just 20 minutes remaining in the match.  Brittney Robich (then a freshmen) scored three goals in a nine-minute span from around the fifteen-minute mark until just under six minutes. Emily Escolas contributed a pair of assists and Tracy Filter recorded an assist as well. 
• This spring marks the 30^th season of Lady Raiders soccer and Tuesday’s match will be the 60^th all-time meeting between the Lady Raiders and the Lady Scots.  
• If you’re wondering how Tuesday’s match can be the 60^th meeting when the current series record of 28-26-6 equals 60 already, the discrepancy is due to a strange occurrence that ruined Scotland’s senior night in 2001.  Due to a miscommunication about a make-up date after inclement weather caused the conference season finale match at Scotland to be postponed.  Richmond wound up forfeiting the match.
• Heading into the 2015 season, Scotland led the series 26-10-6, including a nine-game winning streak by the Lady Scots from March 2006 to March 2010.
• The current streak began with a 10-1 victory over Scotland in Rockingham in 2015.  Vik scored three goals in the win and McFayden followed with two. Bass, Griffin, Hudson, Robinson and Svedsen all added a goal each.  
• The streak nearly ended in just its second game.  On Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Richmond escaped a visit to Laurinburg with a 2-1 double-overtime victory.  Vik and Scotland’s Kaitlin Lewis each scored second half goals resulting in a 1-1 stalemate at the end of regulation.  Both teams failed to score in the first overtime period, but just a minute into the second overtime period Vik took a pass from Buie and found the far-right corner of the net for the game winner.
• Only one match that was ever in doubt for the Lady Raiders during the current winning streak against the Lady Scots and that came on May 9, 2022.  Richmond survived a nail-biter on senior night defeating Scotland 1-0. Sriratanakoul, then a junior, spared her senior teammates a senior-night letdown netting the game’s only goal at the 52^nd minute mark in the game.  The game winner was Sriratanakoul’s first goal of the season.