ROCKINGHAM — An annual tradition took place under the Friday night lights at Raider Stadium Friday.
The Richmond Senior High School football and cheerleading programs held their senior night celebrations.
The Raiders, who hosted Scotland High School, played their final regular-season game and secured the 2024 Sandhills Athletic Conference championship.
Ahead of the Raiders’ conference-clinching win over the Fighting Scots, the team’s 24 senior players were introduced by public address announcer Jim Butler.
In his first season as head coach, Brad Denson switched up the usual routine a couple of different ways.
Players entered the field from the field house side and walked through a tunnel of underclassmen teammates where they met Denson. Family members waited for their senior player near midfield before joining together at the Raider diamond.
Along with each player was a “teacher of impact,” selected by the seniors, who positively influenced their academic and playing career. Instead of reading future plans, Butler read a biography of each player’s journey to his senior year.
This year’s football seniors, in order by jersey number, were: Jarah Cook, Keidreion Crump, AJ Covington, Javion Smith, Nicholas Griggs, K’Mauri Morgan, Zach Gardner, Jordan Bostick, Amir Vaughan, Joseph Patterson, Keyonta Davis, Zy Martin, Chris Covington, Billy West, Jabari Douglas, Robert Blue, Jackson Hamilton, Joe Parsons, Tate Simpson, Joel Butler, Lincoln Smith, Hayden Taylor, Jaidyn Brown and Jordon Odom.
Also before the game, eight senior cheerleaders were recognized in front of a packed stadium by head coach Meredith Hood. The cheerleaders also walked with family members and a teacher of their choosing.
One of the larger groups of seniors in recent years, the 2024-25 senior cheerleaders were, in alphabetical order: Nevaeh Harris, Kylie Hood, Riley Howell, James Lewis, Trinity Lockhart, Mattie Moss, Addison O’Neal and Bailey Rheault.
To read about the football team’s 30-6 win on senior night, click here.
Below are photos of the football and cheerleading teams’ seniors, taken by sports editor Kyle Pillar, co-publisher Charlie Melvin and Jordyn Pillar. A separate album of Richmond’s band and color guard seniors will be posted shortly.
