ROCKINGHAM — Alex Quick and Xavier Pettigrew, a pair of seniors from this year’s Richmond Senior High School basketball team, joined the long list of RSHS student-athletes who are furthering their playing careers.
Having been teammates together the past two seasons under Pettigrew’s father, Donald Pettigrew, as the head coach, Quick and Xavier Pettigrew will be teammates again when they head off to college in the fall.
In front of family members and teammates, the duo signed their letters of commitment to play at Pitt Community College on Thursday. Also joining them was Bulldogs head coach Darrick Mullins and Richmond assistant coaches Frank Harrington and Derrick Watkins.
As Donald Pettigrew noted, it was the first time “in at least a decade” that the Raiders are sending more than one player from the same senior class to play at the collegiate level.
“It’s a big deal for them and it’s a big deal for our program,” Coach Pettigrew said. “It’s the first time we’ve had multiple players sign in a long time, and that was one of my goals coming in here.
“A lot of people see how Coach (Ricky) Young gets several baseball players to sign, and the same thing with Coach (Bryan) Till and the football team,” he added. “I want to develop my players to play college ball, and I’m so proud of these guys.”
The duo of future Bulldogs was a big part of Richmond’s turnaround during the 2018-19 season. The Raiders sprang from seventh place in the conference standings to third, and saw a eight-game winning streak against Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents.
Pettigrew and Quick also helped Richmond make an appearance in the SAC tournament title game against Seventy-First High School, while also seeing the team through to a second-round state playoff appearance.
“It was a dream come true,” Xavier Pettigrew said after his signing.”It’s just another step forward and I’m getting to play at another level. Pitt was the spot for me, so I had to choose it.”
“It was kind of crazy,” Quick explained. “The reality of it didn’t really hit me until afterward. It’s just such a good feeling to be playing college basketball.”
During the SAC tournament championship, Quick went off for a team-high 20 points against the Falcons. Despite losing a close game 69-65, that performance by the 6-4 point guard caught the eye of Mullins and his staff.
The Bulldogs reached out to Donald Pettigrew and arranged a workout for Quick on March 30. Xavier Pettigrew went along just to work alongside his high school teammate, but his impressive performance there earned him an offer as well.
“Coach Mullins could tell we play good defense and he’s impressed by that,” Donald Pettigrew said. “Now our younger kids can see this and have an opportunity to play. I’m thrilled to death for them to sign and go to the same school.”
Xavier Pettigrew, a 6-4 power forward, transferred from Temple Christian School at the start of his junior year, and both he and Quick became regular contributors for the Raiders for two season.
After a slow start this season, both players came off the bench in the first half in a sixth-man role, and dominated the floor to help Richmond to 17 wins. Coach Pettigrew complimented both players on their defensive efforts, while also contributing to scoring many of the Raiders’ points this season.
The two soon-to-be college freshmen aren’t taking this opportunity for granted, as they’ll be joining a competitive Pitt Community College Program. Located in Winterville, N.C., PittCC saw its men’s basketball program go 24-10 this season and earn a Region X championship.
The Bulldogs also made an appearance in the NJCAA Division II Championship playoffs.
Xavier Pettigrew and Quick hope to use each other to be successful at the collegiate level just like they have in high school. Both agreed that they’ll be contending “for starting spots” on the roster this season.
“He’s my brother and I know he’s going to push me harder,” Pettigrew said of Quick. “We’ve been teammates a long time and he will help me and tell me when I need to be better. We’re going to keep each other on the right track.”
“We’ve got a great chemistry,” Quick echoed. “We’re close on and off the court, and I know we are going to take our chemistry and bond to the next level.”
Set to leave for college later this summer, Xavier Pettigrew said he’s “most excited to be able to play basketball at the next level.” He added that he’s going to “do my best no matter what.”
Quick noted that “many people have doubted me” as a basketball player, and from that, he’s “not going to stop the grind.”
In terms of school, Quick will major in criminal justice, while Pettigrew is still undecided.
