ROCKINGHAM – For North Carolina high school football programs, facing a non-conference opponent four months later in the postseason is not that uncommon. However, when schools meet for a non-conference game just four months after competing in the playoffs, that has a strange feel to it.
Unfortunately for the Richmond Senior varsity football program, both of its games against Cardinal Gibbons saw late comeback bids come up short. The Raiders were defeated by the Crusaders 28-14 in April and again on Friday night 30-22 at Raider Stadium.
Richmond caught a huge break in the final moments of last week’s game with Butler when Gabe Altman collected a Butler fumble, setting up Richmond’s game winning scoring drive.
It nearly happened again against the Crusaders. With Cardinal Gibbons holding a 30-22 advantage, the Crusaders were forced to punt from their own 49 yard-line with just 3:55 remaining in the game
Cardinal Gibbons punter Ethan Hastings was unable to collect a high snap and the loose ball landed in the open field ripe for the picking. Unfortunately, Richmond didn’t rush the punt allowing for Hastings to chase down the ball and get off a devastating punt which pinned the Raiders back at their own 7-yard line.
The poor field position, combined with a couple of first down nullifying penalties, ended Richmond’s hopes for a comeback.
For the second week in a row, Richmond found itself in an early deficit. Cardinal Gibbons took its opening possession 80 yards on 8 plays capped by a 23-yard touchdown pass from Crusader quarterback Connor Clark to Jake Taylor with 9:18 remaining.
After Richmond fumbled the ball back to the Crusaders on its second play from scrimmage, Clark made the Raiders pay for the miscue on the very next play with a 21-yard touchdown strike to Donovan Shepard. The PAT on the second score was no good, but the Raiders found themselves in an early 13-0 hole.
Richmond bounced back. With momentum in its favor, Cardinal Gibbons gambled on fourth-and-five from the Raider 49-yard line, but Clark’s pass failed to connect, giving the ball to the Raiders with great field position.
Richmond used a pair of Crusader penalties and its smashmouth run game to bully its way toward the endzone.
With just two seconds remaining in the opening quarter, senior quarterback Kellan Hood put Richmond on the scoreboard when he ended a 7-play, 51-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. Alex Medina’s point after attempt was true, cutting the Raider deficit to six.
After Cardinal Gibbons went three-and-out on its next possession, the Raiders went 64 yards – all on the ground – in ten plays with Hood, junior tailback Taye Spencer, and senior running back Nasir Crumpton each getting carries on the drive.
This time, it was Spencer who found paydirt, pushing his way in from two yards out. Medina connected once again, giving Richmond a 14-13 lead with 4:34 remaining in the first half.
Richmond’s only lead of the game was short lived as the Crusaders responded with a 4-play, 82-yard scoring drive that only took 1:48 off of the clock.
The Raiders, now trailing 20-14, went three-and-out on the ensuing possession giving the ball right back to Cardinal Gibbons with just under a minute before halftime.
Richmond found new life when senior safety Kelay Lindsey picked off a pass from Clark on the very next play, but another costly fumble deep in Crusader territory ended Richmond’s hopes of regaining the lead before intermission.
The momentum remained with the Crusaders in the second half. Richmond only managed six yards of total offense in its two third quarter possessions combined. Richmond’s defense stymied the Crusaders in the third quarter as well and managed to stop a long Cardinal Gibbons drive in the red zone just after the quarter expired.
Hastings booted a 27-yard field goal at the start of the final quarter to put the Crusaders ahead 23-14 with just 11:48 remaining.
The turnover bug bit once again on the next possession when Hood over threw his receiver and the ball found its way to Crusader Jamil Tucker who returned it to the Raider 19 yard-line. Two plays later, Shepard shook off defenders and ran it in for the score from 9 yards out.
In a surprising move, Cardinal Gibbons opted to kick the PAT instead of going for two – which would have made it a three possession game. Hastings was once again true, but the Raiders were still only down by a manageable two scores at 30-14 with 9:36 left on the clock and all three timeouts still unused.
Richmond went 80 yards on 9 plays capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by Spencer, his second rushing touchdown of the night.
On the must-try two-point conversion attempt, Hood pitched the ball to Crumpton who had a wall of white Cardinal Gibbons jerseys in front of him. Crumpton surprised everyone when he tossed the ball forward and found a diving Trey Thomas.
The senior wide receiver managed to keep the ball between his arms and the ground bringing the Raiders to within 8 at 30-22 with 7:03 remaining.
The Raider defense stopped the Crusaders near midfield, setting up Hastings’ punt off of the bad snap.
Richmond (2-1) will close out its difficult non-conference schedule next Friday when it hosts undefeated South View (2-0).
The Tigers have yet to allow a score this season shutting out Overhills 43-0 in week one and defeating SAC foe Hoke County 20-0 on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
