ROCKINGHAM – After waiting nearly a week, the Richmond Senior High School varsity football team knows its second round opponent in the 2018 NCHSAA 4AA state playoffs.
The No. 2 Raiders, who are competing in the West Bracket, enjoyed their Friday night at home during their first-round bye, and awaited the outcome of the No. 7 West Forsyth High School and No.10 Ronald Reagan High School matchup — in which the Reagan Raiders upset their Central Piedmont Conference foe 34-20.
That sets up a rematch from Week 1 of this season, with the Reagan Raiders traveling back to Richmond County Friday in pursuit of what they’re calling their “redemption tour.” In the season opener, Richmond made easy work of Josh McGee’s Raiders, walking away with a season-high in points, 54-18.
But for Richmond head coach Bryan Till, while that victory is still fresh in his mind, he knows that a lot of football has been played since the Aug. 17 meeting. And with it comes a different Reagan team in the playoffs.
“We know a little about each other,” Till said of the two programs. “It can be a good thing and a bad thing — but it gives us a chance to look at the film and go back to see what we did well and what we can improve on. This is a different type of chess match because now we’re trying to anticipate moves on both sides. From a coaching standpoint, it’s fun to do that.
“As teams go through the season they mature,” he added of facing a different team from Week 1. “(Reagan) beat Page High School and came back after losing to West Forsyth to win by two touchdowns in the playoffs. That shows they’re resilient and have matured as young football players.”
In the early-season win over Reagan, Richmond tallied 386 yards of total offense on 64 plays, with 203 yards coming on the ground and 183 yards through the air. Of the Raiders’ eight total touchdowns scored, six of them came on the ground. Junior tailback Jaheim Covington, who leads the Sandhills Athletic Conference with 20 rushing scores and is third in 4A play, began his season with three touchdowns.
Fellow junior running back LaCyrus Ellerbe notched two scores in the win, while sophomore quarterback Caleb Hood sprinted in for the final rushing score. Hood also found senior wide receiver Jahan Jones and sophomore wide receiver Dalton Stroman through the air, ending the night with two passing touchdowns.
While Till anticipates a tougher meeting the second time around, he expects his players to uphold the high standard of play they’ve shown all season.
“I think the big thing is once we have a game plan in place, it comes down to how we execute in practice this week,” he said. “It’s how the guys come to school (on a short week) and put forth effort in practice. And hopefully we’ll be focused and maintain that standard we have all season.”
The SAC entered the playoffs with five of its eight teams making the postseason. Richmond was the only team to get a first-round bye, and is joined in 4AA play by No. 6 Pinecrest High School (East Bracket) in the second round after the Patriots defeated Panther Creek High School 40-6.
The other three teams qualified for the 4A playoffs, all in the East Bracket. No. 10 Scotland High School outlasted No. 7 Durham Jordan High School in a game that came down to a Durham Jordan failed two-point conversion attempt in the final 30 seconds. In the other matchup, No. 5 Seventy-First High School defeated No. 12 Jack Britt High School 21-14.
Richmond will host the Reagan Raiders Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ROSports will publish a game preview later this week.
