ROCKINGHAM — The rushing attack and a stout defense for the Richmond junior varsity football team were again the catalysts during the JV Raiders’ second straight win.
Opening Sandhills Athletic Conference play with their third consecutive home game, the JV Raiders rolled past the JV Cavaliers 43-0.
After last week’s five rushing touchdown performance, the JV Raiders again found success on the ground with four scores and two more through the air.
Four players scored a rushing touchdown, including two from sophomore Javion Smith. Freshman wide receiver Domonic Tillman caught both touchdown passes, one each from freshman Evan Hodges and sophomore Dillon Veach.
Richmond’s defense stood tall again, collecting its second straight shutout and six sacks. The JV Raiders held the JV Cavs to just 43 total yards of offense, and stunted the running game to -24 rushing yards.
Scoring on all six of their offensive drives, the JV Raiders took just seven plays to go 62 yards to take an early lead after receiving the kickoff. Hodges capped the drive with a 16-yard back shoulder touchdown to Tillman in the right corner of the end zone.
Freshman kicker Jason Medina, who went 5-of-6 on extra point attempts, hit his first one to give Richmond a 7-0 lead with 8:10 left in the first quarter.
On Southern Lee’s first drive, freshman linebacker Terande Spencer sacked quarterback Avery Harrington on fourth down to force the turnover. That set up a short field for the JV Raiders at the 44-yard line.
A 21-yard gain on first down from Hodges (5-of-6, 81 yards) to sophomore receiver Nicholas Griggs put Richmond near the red zone. Five plays later, sophomore tailback Joseph Patterson muscled his way up the middle for an 8-yard rushing score.
Medina’s PAT was good and Richmond jumped ahead 14-0 with 2:07 remaining in the first.
Southern Lee turned the ball over on downs on its next drive near midfield. That led to a 9-play drive to the house for the JV Raiders.
A handful of runs from sophomore Ali Tyson (54 yards, 8 carries) and a 31-yard grab from Griggs (4 catches, 65 yards) moved the JV Raiders inside the 20-yard line.
Four plays later, Smith scored the first of his game-high two rushing touchdowns, finding a hole in the line from eight yards out. Another Medina PAT made it a 21-point lead midway through the second.
A short punt from Southern Lee gave the JV Raiders another short field, which saw Veach enter the game under center.
Setting up another score was a 34-yard catch from freshman wideout Keonta Pegues. A play later, Veach hit Tillman over the middle on a crossing route for an 8-yard catch and run into the end zone.
With 36 seconds left before the half, Medina made it 28-0. Sophomore linebacker Fred Isaac closed the second quarter with a quarterback sack.
A three-and-out by Southern Lee started the third quarter and a short kick gave Richmond the ball at the JV Cavs’ 33-yard line.
Tyson collected a 17-yard run on first down, and Smith scooted into the end zone from 16 yards on the second play from scrimmage to make it 34-0.
Medina’s kickoff pinned Southern Lee at its own 5-yard line thanks to a big tackle from freshman Jason Gainey, and a sack from Jadarian Wallace on first down resulted in a safety.
The next offensive possession belonged to freshman running back Lazarius Graham, who collected all 50 of his rushing yards on three straight plays. Runs of 19 and 8 yards led to a 23-yard scoring burst down the right sideline by Graham.
Medina’s PAT with 6:30 left in the third quarter started the running clock with Richmond up 43-0.
Down the stretch, Gainey and sophomore defensive back A.J. Covington had sacks on back-to-back plays. Freshman cornerback Chamaure Shaw broke up a pass on fourth down to give the JV Raiders the ball to run out the clock.
Jacob Elvis and Connor McDonald became the final two of Richmond’s eight ball carriers in the game to pick up positive yardage.
Elvis ran the ball five times for 15 yards and McDonald added a run for two yards to help the clock expire.
Richmond (2-2, 1-0 SAC) caps its month-long homestand with a home game against Pinecrest High School next Thursday. Kickoff between the JV Raiders and JV Patriots is set for 6:30 p.m.
