ROCKINGHAM — The first couple of warm days of the oncoming spring season have popped up in Richmond County this past week, which was the perfect cue for Richmond Senior High School’s spring sports athletes and coaches to get their seasons started.
Wednesday marked the official start of the 2019 spring sports season, as the six spring programs began tryouts on their respective playing surfaces. With a couple of RSHS winter sports programs winding down, baseball, softball, track and field, boys’ golf and tennis, and girls’ soccer are heating up.
The tryout period for spring sports will run through Friday, weather permitting.
“It was a good day,” athletic director Ricky Young said. “The first day is is always exciting for all the kids, but spring sports mean it’s closer to the end of school year. Spring sports fly by and we had a lot of kids out with all the teams. The weather was good and it allowed all of us to get a good first practice in.”
Baseball and softball set to scrimmage Saturday
The Raider baseball and Lady Raider softball programs have been the two squads that have gotten the most preseason workouts in leading up to the tryout period, beginning early-season practices in mid January. Coached by Young and Wendy Wallace, respectively, both programs are looking to build off of postseason appearances a season ago.
Wallace and the Lady Raiders made a deep run in the 2018 playoffs, coming up a win shy of making it to the state title series. Young and company beat Davie County High School in the first round before falling to East Forsyth High School in the second round.
Both squads will hit the diamond for their first live action of the spring Saturday. The softball team will head to Springwood Park in Burlington and play four scrimmages, starting at 10:20 a.m., with the last game at 5:20 p.m. The baseball team will play Green Hope and Pine Forest high schools in Fayetteville, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
“We’re definitely excited for the season to start,” Wallace said. “We’ve been ready to start since the end of last year because we felt we had some unfinished business to take care of. The girls are looking forward to scrimmaging, and during workouts, a lot of the girls have gotten better and are back in the swing of things.”
“The guys showed really good effort,” Young echoed from the baseball diamond. “Most of the guys have been coming to workouts anyway, but this was the first official day and there was a lot of good energy. We went longer today than normal to take advantage of the weather.”
Lady Raider soccer looking to build on record-setting 2018 season
Last spring, the Lady Raider soccer program closed out then-head coach Bennie Howard’s 30-year career with a program best 17 wins and a playoff appearance. Taking the reins this season is first-year head coach Chris Larsen, and the team’s journey back to the playoffs started Wednesday.
Senior heavy this season, the Lady Raiders have also been working out during the past month, and will play in their first scrimmage on Saturday, Feb. 23, in the Kicking For Cancer jamboree at South View High School. Richmond will compete in three scrimmages, beginning at 9 a.m.
“It was a good day one,” Larsen commented. “The girls enjoyed the drills, and we’re getting geared up with only one week to get ready for game experience at the jamboree. Then we’ll have four days of practice before opening the season Friday and Saturday (March 1 and 2).”
Track and field hosts boys and girls for first day of tryouts
Also out on Richmond’s campus Wednesday afternoon were the boys’ and girls’ track and field teams, coached by Chris Campolieta and Reggie Miller, respectively. The largest teams by number of total athletes in the six programs, the boys worked on sprints, while the girls ran hills nearby.
A majority of the boys trying out were current Richmond football players, as Raider head football coach Bryan Till will be assisting Campolieta again this season. The Lady Raiders bring a lot of experience back from a season ago, and also have several runners fresh off a strong indoor track season this winter.
“For the first day, it went really well,” Campolieta said. “We have a ton of kids who are willing to compete and work hard. We’re going to have to replace a few really good seniors from last year.
“John Ware is our new throwing coach,” he added. “I’m excited about the upcoming season and developing these young men into champions.”
Boys’ golf and tennis officially open with tryouts Wednesday
Rounding out Wednesday’s opening day of tryouts were the boys’ golf and tennis teams. Second-year head coach Patrick Hope will lead the tennis team this spring, while first-year head coach Keith Parsons will follow up his girls’ golf coaching debut by leading the Raiders on the course over the next couple of months.
“We had 11 players out for the first day, which was a pleasant surprise,” Parsons said of tryouts at Foxfire Resort. “The overall skill level is very high, as well. I can’t wait to see where the season takes us.”
ROSports will publish comprehensive season previews for all varsity spring sports teams in the coming week.
